Prices & Buying Guides
Ajwa Dates Price in Saudi Arabia: What a Kilogram Actually Costs
Real listed Ajwa prices in Saudi riyals, from SAR 56 fourth class to SAR 130 first class, plus bulk carton rates, VAT, seasonal swings and what pilgrims should budget.
◷Prices last checked: 30 October 2026Direct Answer
In Saudi Arabia a kilogram of Ajwa dates is currently listed between SAR 56 and SAR 130, depending almost entirely on grade. Standard good retail grade sits around SAR 89 to SAR 110. Supermarket packs start near SAR 70. Bulk cartons drop the effective rate to about SAR 50 per kilogram. Saudi shelf prices include 15 percent VAT.
Current listed prices, grade by grade
These are prices read directly from Saudi seller listings on 30 October 2026. They are examples of what the market looks like now, not fixed rates.
| Grade / product | Seller | Pack | Price | Per kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajwa, fourth class | Munwra Dates Store, Madinah | 1 kg | SAR 56 | SAR 56 |
| Ajwa Al Madina, retail brand | Lulu KSA (Al Huda) | 1 kg | SAR 69.95 | SAR 69.95 |
| Ajwa Quba Al Madina | Munwra Dates Store | 1 kg | SAR 89 | SAR 89 |
| Ajwa Alia 100% | Munwra Dates Store | 1 kg | SAR 95 | SAR 95 |
| Ajwa Al Madina, retail brand | Lulu KSA (Tamara) | 1 kg | SAR 100.65 | SAR 100.65 |
| Ajwa, luxury first class | Munwra Dates Store | 1 kg | SAR 110 | SAR 110 |
| Ajwa Alia, first class | Munwra Dates Store | 1 kg | SAR 130 | SAR 130 |
| Ajwa Quba Al Madina | Munwra Dates Store | 500 g | SAR 46 | SAR 92 |
| Ajwa Alia 100% | Munwra Dates Store | 250 g | SAR 24 | SAR 96 |
| Ajwa, luxury gift box | Munwra Dates Store | 5 kg | SAR 250 | SAR 50 |
| Ajwa, bulk carton | Munwra Dates Store | 12 kg | SAR 600 | SAR 50 |
What this table is really telling you
Grade is the price. Within a single Madinah shop the spread runs from SAR 56 to SAR 130 for one kilogram of the same variety. Nothing else on this page moves the number as much.
Small packs carry a packaging tax. The 250 g Alia pack works out to SAR 96 per kilogram while the 1 kg Alia pack is SAR 95. The 500 g Quba pack is SAR 92 per kilogram against SAR 89 for the kilo. The premium is modest in Saudi Arabia compared with export markets, but it is there, and it grows sharply once you move into decorated gift packaging.
Bulk is where the real discount lives. SAR 600 for a 12 kg carton is SAR 50 per kilogram, roughly 55 percentbelow the same shop’s luxury first class kilo. Some of that is wholesale pricing and some is grade, since bulk cartons carry mixed sizes rather than hand-sorted fruit.
Where you buy changes the price more than which city you are in
People often ask whether Ajwa is cheaper in Madinah than in Riyadh. Transport inside Saudi Arabia adds very little to a product this valuable per kilogram, so the honest answer is that channel matters more than city.
Specialist date shops and date markets. The widest grade choice and the only place bulk carton pricing is routinely available. You can see and taste the fruit before buying.
Supermarkets (Lulu, Panda, Danube, Othaim). Convenient, sealed, brand-labelled, usually 400 g to 1 kg. Prices sit in the SAR 70 to SAR 105 per kilogram band. Grade is rarely stated, which makes direct comparison with a specialist shop difficult.
Farm and co-operative direct. Lowest prices at volume, usually around harvest, and typically requiring a full carton purchase.
Hotel and airport retail. The highest prices in the country by a wide margin, driven by convenience and gift packaging rather than quality.
If you are buying in Madinah specifically and want the market-level detail, that belongs on its own page: where to buy Ajwa dates in Madinah.
VAT, and why the sticker already includes it
Saudi Arabia applies a standard VAT rate of 15 percent, and consumer prices displayed in Saudi retail are required to be shown inclusive of VAT. So the SAR 89 on the shelf is what you pay.
Two situations where this matters:
- Wholesale and B2B invoices are often quoted excluding VAT. A SAR 600 carton quoted ex-VAT becomes SAR 690.
- Tourist VAT refunds have been introduced in Saudi Arabia for eligible departing visitors, but eligibility, minimum spend and participating-retailer rules apply. Confirm with the retailer at the point of sale rather than assuming a refund.
Converting Saudi prices to your currency
The Saudi riyal is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of SAR 3.75 to USD 1, so the dollar conversion is stable and easy to do in your head.
| Saudi price | Approx. USD |
|---|---|
| SAR 56 per kg | about USD 15 |
| SAR 89 per kg | about USD 24 |
| SAR 110 per kg | about USD 29 |
| SAR 130 per kg | about USD 35 |
| SAR 600 per 12 kg carton | about USD 160, or USD 13 per kg |
For other currencies the riyal moves with the dollar, so check a live rate on the day. The useful comparison: a first class Saudi kilogram at about USD 35 against UK retail Ajwa at roughly USD 40 per kilogram and US retail at about USD 30 per kilogram. Saudi prices are lower at the same grade, but the gap at retail grade is smaller than most visitors assume. The gap at bulk is enormous. Full international comparison is on the Ajwa dates price guide.
When prices move through the Saudi year
| Period | What happens to price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Main harvest, around August to September | Softest prices, freshest crop | New season fruit arriving |
| Post-harvest to pre-Ramadan | Best value window | Stock plentiful, demand normal |
| Ramadan | Noticeably higher | Peak domestic consumption and gifting |
| Hajj season | Higher in Madinah and Jeddah | Concentrated pilgrim demand |
| Late crop year | Drifting up | Remaining stock older and scarcer |
If you have flexibility, buying between the end of harvest and the start of Ramadan gives you the best combination of price and freshness.
For the month by month calendar, the fruit development stages behind it and the best window for each type of buyer, see when to buy Ajwa dates.
What a pilgrim should realistically budget
A practical planning table, using current retail grade pricing of roughly SAR 89 to SAR 110 per kilogram:
| Purpose | Quantity | Budget at retail grade | Budget via bulk carton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal use for a month | 1 kg | SAR 89 to SAR 110 | n/a |
| Gifts for five families | 5 x 500 g | SAR 230 to SAR 275 | SAR 250 for a 5 kg box |
| Larger family and community gifting | 12 kg | SAR 1,070 to SAR 1,320 | SAR 600 carton |
Two things worth knowing before you plan around the bulk price:
Airline baggage. Twelve kilograms of dates plus packaging is a meaningful share of a checked allowance. Excess baggage charges can wipe out the saving entirely. Price the full carton plus any excess baggage before deciding.
Destination import rules. Many countries allow commercially packed dried fruit for personal use, but rules differ and some require a phytosanitary certificate for larger quantities or for loose, unpackaged fruit. Check your destination’s agriculture and customs rules before buying a carton.
How to check you are paying for real Ajwa
Even in Saudi Arabia, variety substitution happens, usually by selling Safawi or Kalmi as Ajwa to visitors who have no reference point. Price is the first signal: if “Ajwa” is being offered at SAR 25 to SAR 35 per kilogram alongside genuine stock at SAR 90, that is not a bargain grade, that is a different date.
Practical checks before paying:
- Ask directly which grade it is, by name (Alia, first class, Quba, second, third)
- Ask to taste one. Legitimate date shops expect this
- Look for a dull dark brown-black skin with fine wrinkling, not a wet glossy black
- Press a date between your fingers. Ajwa is soft-dry, yielding but not sticky or wet
- Check that no colour transfers to your fingers
- Ask where the fruit was grown and whether it is this season’s crop
Practical Note
A fuller side-by-side of the variety most often substituted is in Ajwa vs Kalmi dates./p>
Frequently asked questions
How much is 1 kg of Ajwa dates in Saudi Arabia right now?
Is Ajwa cheaper in Madinah than in Riyadh or Jeddah?
What is the cheapest legitimate way to buy Ajwa in Saudi Arabia?
Do Saudi prices include VAT?
Why is Ajwa so much more expensive than Sukkari or Khudri in the same shop?
How many dates will a kilogram give me?
Sources
All prices were read from live seller listings on 30 October 2026 and are examples of current pricing, not official rates.
- Munwra Dates Store (Madinah) product listings at munwradates.store
- Lulu KSA Ajwa Al Madina listings (Al Huda, Tamara), via Kanbkam price tracking
- Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, Saudi Arabia: standard VAT rate of 15 percent and VAT-inclusive display pricing for consumers
- Saudi Central Bank: riyal exchange rate peg of SAR 3.75 to USD 1
- Fruit weight data: Lipids in Health and Disease, 2019, variety texture and fruit weight table
- Variety and growing region background: Al-Khayri, Jain and Johnson (eds.), Date Palm Genetic Resources and Utilization
Amira Noor
Contributor, Ajwa Hub · Prices verified 30 October 2026 against live Saudi seller listings
No clinical review applies to this page. Where a contributor has first-hand buying experience in Saudi date markets, that is stated plainly in the byline rather than implied.