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Buying dates in Medina: Ajwa, prices, and how not to be sold Safawi

If the Ajwa is much cheaper than everything around it, it is not Ajwa.

Ajwa dates, dark and soft, close up
Photograph: Miansari66 · Public domain

Dates are what people take home from Medina, and the city takes them seriously: the Central Date Market, walking distance from the Prophet’s Mosque, carries well over a hundred varieties across dozens of stalls, and the owners will press samples into your hand faster than you can eat them.

Ajwa, and why it is different

Ajwa is grown in the Medina region and effectively nowhere else, which is most of why it costs what it does. It is small, very dark, soft, and much less sweet than people expect — closer to a dried fig than to the sticky supermarket date. It appears in a number of hadith, and for many visitors buying it is as much an act of remembrance as a purchase.

The substitution to watch for is Safawi: another dark Medina date, also good, also worth buying — and considerably cheaper. Sold honestly as Safawi it is a bargain. Sold as Ajwa it is a swindle, and the tell is almost always the price. If one stall is a third under the four around it, that is why.

The others worth knowing

Sukkari is the crowd-pleaser: pale golden, crisp or soft depending on grade, and as sweet as the name suggests — the one to buy for children. Khalas is amber and caramel-flavoured, the everyday date most Saudi households actually keep. Medjool is the large, glossy one familiar from abroad, mostly grown outside the Kingdom, and there is little reason to buy it here. Anbara is the expensive one: very large, dense, and priced accordingly.

What to pay, and where

A broad range is 40 to 120 riyals a kilo depending on variety and grade, with Ajwa and Anbara at the upper end and Sukkari and Khalas well below. Prices climb in Ramadan and through the Hajj season. Grade matters as much as variety — the same name covers a wide span of quality, which is why the sample matters.

Taste before you buy; nobody will mind, and refusing to let you is itself an answer. Buy loose from the market rather than pre-boxed near the Haram if price matters, and boxed if the dates are a gift and need to survive a suitcase. Vacuum packing is offered at most stalls and is worth the extra few riyals for anything soft.

Common questions

Where is the best place to buy dates in Medina?
The Central Date Market, known as Souq al-Tamar, within walking distance of the Prophet’s Mosque, carries well over a hundred varieties at competitive prices. Shops immediately around the Haram are more convenient but carry a visitor mark-up, and the markets nearer Quba are often cheaper again.
How much do Ajwa dates cost in Medina?
Dates generally run about 40 to 120 riyals a kilo depending on variety and grade, with Ajwa towards the upper end. Prices rise in Ramadan and through the Hajj season, so treat any figure as a guide rather than a fixed rate.
How can I tell if Ajwa dates are genuine?
Price is the strongest signal: genuine Ajwa is grown only in the Medina region and is expensive, so a stall selling it far below the ones around it is almost certainly selling Safawi, a similar-looking dark date. Ajwa is also small, soft and noticeably less sweet than most dates. Taste before buying, and buy from an established shop or the main date market.
What is the difference between Ajwa and Safawi?
Both are dark Medina dates and look similar. Ajwa is smaller, softer, less sweet and considerably more expensive; Safawi is a very good date in its own right and much cheaper. Sold honestly as Safawi it is excellent value — the problem is only when it is sold as Ajwa.
Which dates are best for gifts?
Ajwa for significance, Sukkari for children and anyone with a sweet tooth, Khalas as an everyday favourite. Buy boxed rather than loose if the dates need to survive a suitcase, and ask for vacuum packing for anything soft.
Can I take dates home on a plane?
Dates travel well and are commonly carried in both hand and hold luggage. Some countries restrict the import of agricultural produce, so check your destination’s rules — and note that Zamzam water is treated separately and has its own airline restrictions.

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