Karachi: The first International Pakistani Date Festival was officially opened by Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tesori, who highlighted the significant potential for Pakistani dates in the global market. The governor emphasized that fully leveraging this market could substantially boost foreign exchange earnings for Pakistan. The event, marked by an expression of gratitude to the UAE for its role in organizing the festival, also saw the announcement of several initiatives aimed at supporting date palm growers.

According to Sindh Governor House, Governor Tesori praised the efforts of the organizers for setting up the successful festival. He expressed optimism that the festival would foster new opportunities for collaboration and exchange. The opening ceremony was also attended by UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al Zabi, who welcomed Governor Tesori’s participation. The governor acknowledged Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s directive under which the festival was organized and announced his plans to write a letter of thanks to the President of the UAE through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The festival not only celebrates the cultural ties between Pakistan and the UAE but also focuses on the practical steps needed to enhance the date palm industry in Pakistan. Governor Tesori disclosed plans to visit Khairpur and other key regions to address the technological and attention gaps that currently limit the profitability of Pakistani date palm cultivation. He pointed out that while Pakistani date trees currently earn 50 dollars each, trees in other countries generate up to 1500 dollars, highlighting the opportunity for growth.

The governor also took the opportunity to invite palm growers to the Governor House and announced the creation of a facilitation counter to help link federal institutions and provincial resources to boost the export of Pakistani dates.