Iraq: Date harvest begins in Iraq’s southern city of Basra.

SHOTLIST: BASRA, IRAQ (AUG. 12, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF DRONE SHOT OF DATE PALM GROVES 2. VARIOUS OF IRAQI WORKERS HARVESTING DATES IN DATE PALM GROVE 3. VARIOUS OF HARVESTED DATES BEING LOADED INTO VEHICLEBASRA, IRAQ - AUG. 12: Date harvesting began in Basra, southern Iraq, on Wednesday, Aug. 12, as temperatures rise across the country. Harvesting starts in the early morning and continues until midday, after which the freshly collected dates are transported to local markets for sale. The global date market, valued at $32.7 billion in 2025, is projected to grow to $34.5 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.14%. The market is forecast to reach $55.58 billion by 2034. The Middle East and Africa region maintains a dominant position, with annual harvest capacity exceeding nine million tons. The region accounted for 85.28% of the global market in 2025. Its market size increased from $27.89 billion in 2025 to $29.43 billion in 2026. Key producers and consumers in the region include Tunisia, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, and Egypt. Egypt ranks as the world’s leading producer, exceeding 1.7 million tons annually. Saudi Arabia follows with more than 1.5 million tons, Iran with over 1.3 million tons, and Algeria with more than 1.1 million tons.