Dates With Destiny

Bateel CEO Nurtaç Afridi on turning the fruit into gourmet foods and developing boutiques and cafés globally

- by MATTHEW TOSTEVIN

DATE CHOCOLATES, DATE COFfee, date (flower) tea, date olives, date vinegar, date syrup and, most of all, dates as themselves-seven different kinds.

That's what Saudi luxury date brand Bateel is planning to bring to New York in the coming year as it drives a worldwide expansion. The company aims to triple its business by 2029 from 180 outlets in 25 countries to around 500 outlets, and to take it from its Middle Eastern origins to make Bateel a global name.

Underpinning everything are the dates, which have been described as a superfood for their richness in beneficial ingredients such as fiber and antioxidants, as well as for releasing sugars into the blood slower than processed sweets.

“Today we are in three continents. And going forward, we are planning to be in five continents,” Nurtaç Afridi, chief executive of Bateel International, told Newsweek over tea—and dates—at one of its cafés in Dubai.

“In the date world, Bateel has the pioneering position among any business, the best standard of dates, and that’s related to our attention to detail, the different farming practices and making sure that each date is treated like a jewel,” she said.

Bateel’s origins are in Saudi Arabia, where its organic farms are home to the palm plantations where it grows its dates—over 5,000 tonnes a year.

In the Middle East, dates have had a cultural significance for thousands of years and they are often offered to guests with coffee. They are traditionally the first food to be eaten when breaking the Ramadan fast during the Muslim holy month.