Pakistan sold dates to 45 countries in the last financial year and earned $56.57 million, which is about Rs. 15.7 billion at current exchange rates. But one country bought most of them: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) paid for nearly two-thirds of the total.
The Big Numbers
| Detail | Figure (FY2025-26) |
|---|---|
| Total dates exported | 138.74 million kilograms |
| Total earnings | $56.57 million (about Rs. 15.7 billion) |
| Number of countries | 45 |
| UAE’s share of earnings | Nearly 67% |
The figures come from official data shared by Wealth Pakistan and reported by Daily Times. The data is in US dollars, so the rupee amount is an estimate based on an exchange rate of about Rs. 277 per dollar.
Dried Dates Earn the Most Money
| Type | Earnings | Quantity | Countries Bought |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried dates | $40.10 million | 115.44 million kg | 24 |
| Fresh dates | $16.47 million | 23.31 million kg | 38 |
In total, 17 countries bought both fresh and dried dates. Dried dates bring in most of the money because Pakistan sells so many of them. But when you look at the price for each kilogram, fresh dates earn about twice as much. Based on these numbers, dried dates earned roughly 35 cents per kilogram and fresh dates roughly 71 cents. That is a simple calculation from the totals, not a figure reported by the source.
Who Buys Pakistan’s Dates
| Country | Money Paid |
|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | $37.87 million |
| Germany | $4.30 million |
| United Kingdom | $3.00 million |
| Australia | $1.90 million |
| Turkey | $1.45 million |
| United States | $983,982 |
| Canada | $973,320 |
| Italy | $945,209 |
| Bangladesh | $910,481 |
Denmark ($632,246), Japan ($537,076), South Africa ($503,934), and Poland ($463,882) also bought Pakistani dates.
The UAE Buys Almost Everything in Bulk
The UAE is Pakistan’s biggest customer by both money and amount. It bought 113.03 million kilograms, worth $37.87 million. Almost all of that was dried dates, worth $36.93 million. Fresh dates made up only $933,560 of the UAE’s spending.
Five Countries, Most of the Money
The top five buyers (UAE, Germany, the UK, Australia, and Turkey) paid a combined $48.52 million, which is 85.77% of all date earnings. The other 40 countries together paid only about $8.05 million. This shows how much Pakistan depends on a small group of buyers, even though dates were shipped to markets in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Turkey is a good example of the difference between quantity and value. It bought only fresh dates, and it took slightly more kilograms than Australia (2.10 million compared with 2.01 million), but it paid less ($1.45 million compared with $1.90 million).
Why This Matters
Depending so much on one buyer is risky. If the UAE buys less one year, or if prices fall, Pakistan’s date earnings could drop sharply. The numbers also hint at an opportunity. Fresh dates earn more for each kilogram and sell in more countries (38), so growing fresh-date sales to countries like Germany, the UK, and Australia could bring in more money without needing to ship more dates.
The growth has also been slow. A Trade Development Authority of Pakistan report put date exports at about $53 million in 2021-22, so the total today is not much higher.
Final Thoughts
Earning Rs. 15.7 billion from dates is good news for growers and exporters, especially in date-growing areas like Khairpur. But with the UAE buying two-thirds of everything and dried dates making up most of the sales, the bigger challenge is finding more buyers and selling more of the higher-priced fresh dates.
