Date Palms and Desert Oases

Date palms grow sweet, sticky fruits called dates, which have given people energy in the desert for thousands of years. Dates are easy to carry, last a long time, and are packed with goodness, perfect food for long journeys across the sand.

An oasis is like a desert miracle. Underground water lets palms and other plants grow, giving shade, food and a cool place to rest. Travellers, traders and animals have always stopped at oases, so whole towns grew up around them.

The date palm gives more than fruit. Its leaves are woven into baskets and roofs, its trunk is used for building, and its shade protects smaller crops growing beneath it. People in Saudi Arabia treasure the date palm so much it appears on the country's national emblem.