Enhancing Marketing Efficiency of the Saudi Dates at the National and International Markets

Abstract

Date sector is a considerate sector worldwide with an estimated trade value equivalent to about 3.72 billion Saudi Riyals (SR) in 2013. Enhancing marketing efficiency of dates becomes imperative to nations that date sector has a special status in their economies and social heritage such that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This research paper is targeted to estimate the marketing efficiency of dates at different marketing channels qualitatively using a typical five level LIKERT scale and quantitatively using the Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis (2s DEA), to estimate the potential economic impact of improving marketing efficiency on the date marketing channels and on the national economy, and to introduce a set of policies and mechanisms that enhance the competitiveness of the Saudi dates at the local and international markets. The estimated results showed that the total market value of the Saudi dates is about 22.65 billion SR annually, and there is a great potential to improve date marketing efficiency to achieve an additional 30 per cent of value added to traders and the national economy, equivalent to about 6.88 billion SR annually. The research paper concluded with a set of policies and mechanisms to enhance the marketing efficiency and the competitiveness of the Saudi dates at the local and international markets.