Important dates

Is the time ripe for the UAE to brand its dates so catchily that the name becomes generic?

The UAE produces 250,000 tonnes of dates each year. Antonie Robertson / The National

Not only does the humble date occupy a special place in the culture of this region, it holds immense commercial potential. It’s no surprise then that scientists are working hard to increase and improve the varieties of date palm. As The National reported yesterday, researchers in Oman are trying to determine the sugar content of the fruit. If they found a way to sell low-sugar dates, one day the fruit could be the diabetic’s delight.

For the UAE, which produces 250,000 tonnes of dates each year and has the largest number of fruit-bearing date palm trees in the Arab world, this may be just the moment to accelerate the branding and marketing of Emirati varieties.

How to go about it? Perhaps by creating a catchy brand name that’s clearly identified with the UAE. The idea is to be so successful with the branding that the name becomes a generic term for dates in general. Like hoover, jacuzzi, aspirin, yo-yo. A bite of Liwa anyone?