Sukkari vs Ajwa, Khalas and Medjool
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The four varieties in one table
| Variety | Where it grows | Shape and colour by stage | What else is known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukkari | Qassim | Oblong oval. Yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab, brown as tamr. (SPA) | |
| Ajwa | Madinah | A round date with wavy lines, dark and almost black. (Saudipedia) | It reaches khalal in the second half of June and becomes tamr in August. (Saudipedia) |
| Khalas | Al-Ahsa | Apricot yellow as busr, then light amber as rutab, then reddish amber. It is eaten at every stage. (Saudipedia) | The most numerous variety in Saudi Arabia: 10.95 million palms in 2024. (National Center for Palms and Dates) |
| Medjool | Qassim and elsewhere; it originally comes from Morocco | Oblong oval. Orange-yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab, reddish brown as tamr. (SPA) | It comes after Sukkari in the output of Qassim's farms. (SPA) It comes from the Tafilalt oasis in Morocco, from where 11 offshoots were taken to America in 1927. (JSTOR Daily) |
Busr, rutab and tamr are stages of the same fruit; they are explained in Types of Saudi dates.
Sukkari vs Ajwa
They differ in region, shape and colour. Sukkari is from Qassim: an oblong oval date, yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab and brown as tamr. Ajwa is from Madinah: a round date with wavy lines, dark and almost black; it reaches khalal in the second half of June and becomes tamr in August.
We have Madinah Ajwa by the kilo in three grades, Premium, Royal and Rare, and you will find the two together in two gift boxes: Aljoud Gifting Box and Aljoud Fine Dates Box. Details and prices below.
Sources: SPA, Saudipedia
Sukkari vs Khalas
Sukkari is from Qassim, Khalas from Al-Ahsa. Sukkari is yellow as busr, then yellowish brown as rutab, then brown as tamr. Khalas is apricot yellow as busr, then light amber as rutab, then reddish amber, and it is eaten at every stage.
Khalas is the most numerous variety in Saudi Arabia, with 10.95 million palms in 2024. Sukkari palms are about 65% of the palms in Qassim.
Sources: SPA, Saudipedia, National Center for Palms and Dates, SPA
Sukkari vs Medjool
Both are oblong ovals, both are grown in Qassim, and Medjool comes after Sukkari in the output of Qassim's farms. They differ in colour: as busr Sukkari is yellow and Medjool orange-yellow; as rutab both are yellowish brown; as tamr Sukkari is brown and Medjool reddish brown.
And they differ in origin. Sukkari became known in a palm grove of the Al Jumah family in Khab Huwailan, west of Buraydah, and its old name was “Sukkariyat Al Jumah”. Medjool comes from the Tafilalt oasis in Morocco, from where 11 offshoots were taken to America in 1927.
Sources: SPA, SPA, SPA, SPA, JSTOR Daily
Which of them does Aljoud Premium Dates sell?
We sell Sukkari and Ajwa: Sukkari Mufattal from our farms in Qassim, in declared grades from Everyday to Rare, Sukkari Galaxy in its grades, and Madinah Ajwa by the kilo in three grades, Premium, Royal and Rare, and inside two gift boxes. We also sell Royal Medjool by the kilo and by the carton. We do not sell Khalas.
- Aljoud Gifting Box: Ajwa and Sukkari Royal, for someone you love — SAR 120
- Aljoud Fine Dates Box: Royal Mufattal, Galaxy and Ajwa in three boxes — SAR 250
We deliver within Jeddah, and to the rest of the Kingdom by arrangement on WhatsApp.
More on Sukkari and its grades in the Sukkari guide, and all eleven varieties in Types of Saudi dates.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Sukkari and Ajwa?
Sukkari is from Qassim, Ajwa from Madinah. Sukkari: Oblong oval. Yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab, brown as tamr. Ajwa: A round date with wavy lines, dark and almost black.
What is the difference between Sukkari and Khalas?
Sukkari is from Qassim, Khalas from Al-Ahsa. Sukkari: Oblong oval. Yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab, brown as tamr. Khalas: Apricot yellow as busr, then light amber as rutab, then reddish amber. It is eaten at every stage. Khalas is also the most numerous variety in Saudi Arabia, with 10.95 million palms in 2024.
What is the difference between Sukkari and Medjool?
Both are oblong ovals grown in Qassim, and they differ in colour. Sukkari: Oblong oval. Yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab, brown as tamr. Medjool: Oblong oval. Orange-yellow as busr, yellowish brown as rutab, reddish brown as tamr. Medjool comes after Sukkari in the output of Qassim's farms.
Where does Medjool come from?
It comes from the Tafilalt oasis in Morocco, from where 11 offshoots were taken to America in 1927. In Saudi Arabia it is grown in Qassim and elsewhere, and it comes after Sukkari in the output of Qassim's farms.
Do you sell Ajwa?
Yes. Madinah Ajwa by the kilo in three grades, Premium, Royal and Rare, and inside two gift boxes: Aljoud Gifting Box (Ajwa and Sukkari Royal, for someone you love), SAR 120 and Aljoud Fine Dates Box (Royal Mufattal, Galaxy and Ajwa in three boxes), SAR 250. We deliver within Jeddah.
Do you sell Khalas or Medjool?
We sell Royal Medjool by the kilo and by the carton, and we do not sell Khalas. We sell Sukkari: Mufattal in its grades from Everyday to Rare, from our farms in Qassim, and Sukkari Galaxy in its grades. And we sell Madinah Ajwa by the kilo in three grades, Premium, Royal and Rare, and inside two gift boxes.
Read next
- Sukkari datesWhere it comes from, Mufattal and Galaxy, its grades from Everyday to Rare, how to choose, and where to buy it in Jeddah.
- Sukkari Mufattal and Galaxy: the differenceShape, colour, grades and price, side by side.
- Sukkari date pricesThe price per kilo and per carton for each grade, from the shop itself, as of today.
- Calories in datesHow many calories in one date and how much natural sugar, variety by variety, each number with its source.
- Medjool datesWhere it comes from and where it grows in Saudi Arabia, its look and size, and our prices by the kilo and the carton.
- Madinah Ajwa datesWhere it comes from, its look and colour, our grades and prices, and what is narrated about it, word for word with its reference.
- Types of Saudi datesEleven varieties: where each grows, how it looks, what it is known for, each fact with its source.
- Luxury dates and Royal datesWhat “Premium” and “Royal” mean here, by four written criteria, and where to find Royal.
- Dates as gifts from JeddahFor a visit or an occasion, and for visitors to Jeddah looking for a Saudi gift to take home: the boxes, the tins and their prices.
- Shipping Saudi dates to the Gulf and worldwideHow to order our dates from any city in Saudi Arabia, from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, and from Egypt, Jordan and the rest of the world: the shipping companies and their times.
- Date trays for gatherings and occasionsServing trays in three sizes and three grades, and dates for giveaways at events and organisations.
- Ramadan datesFor the iftar table by the kilo and the carton, Ramadan gifts, gathering trays, and giveaways for events and organisations.
- Date sweetsChocolate-covered dates, almond Ghraiba and Kleija: what is in them, how they are served, and what they cost.
- How to store datesWhere to keep Sukkari Mufattal, when to use the fridge, and why it does not need freezing.
