RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is home to about 37 million date palms, but efforts are increasingly focused on finding value in what remains after the fruit is harvested.
Date palm residues are being turned into products ranging from engineered wood and furniture to biodegradable plastics, while researchers are exploring wider industrial applications.
At Aramco, researchers have developed a lost-circulation material made from date pits to help prevent drilling-fluid losses during oil and gas operations.
Faisal Al-Howikan, CEO of Jarid Al-Mustaqbal Co., said the Kingdom’s date palms represent economic value beyond their fruit.
“Their byproducts can be utilized and transformed into economic products that support the national economy,” he told Arab News.
