( CNN ) -- Dates have been an integral part of the culture and identity of the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) since ancient times . In the past four decades , production has increased nearly a hundredfold with dates carefully harvested by hand from more than 40 million palm trees across the country . The UAE is currently the world 's fifth largest producer of dates , but it 's not just homegrown fruit that you will find in the country 's souks . Around 250,000 tons are imported every year -- mostly from Saudi Arabia and Iraq -- arriving on wooden dhows at small , traditional ports like Dubai 's Al Hamriya . Infographic : Gateway to the Gulf . The old-fashioned sailing vessels remain an integral part of trade in the emirate enabling the fast and efficient transport of dates and other foodstuffs , says Khaldoun Asmar , CEO of Barari Group . `` We have dhows starting from 200 tons up to 2,000 tons , '' says Asmar , whose company handles up to 80,000 tons of dates every year . `` [ They ] are very strong and fast-moving and can go and come within two , three , four days maximum . So it 's easy in terms of moving around . You load fast and you discharge fast , '' Asmar said . `` We export to India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka ... We cover the whole area really and we cover the Middle East , plus we cover Australia , Canada and the U.S. '' At Al Hamriya , box after box of dates is unloaded from the dhows onto metal shipping containers which are taken by truck to Dubai 's main shipping hub , Jebel Ali Port . `` Jebel Ali is very important to us because it is connected to the world , '' Asmar says . `` We are bringing dates from all over the world , we store it here in Dubai and we re-export again to the rest of the world . '' Quiz : Destination Dubai . Dubai is not only a center for re-export , it 's a key hub for the whole of the Middle East , says Mohammed Al Muallem , Senior Vice President and Managing Director of DP World . Lots of cargo comes through containers and ends up in warehouses in Dubai , he says , which are then visited by traders from across the region . `` They come and see their products in the warehouses and they basically say , ' I want this to be delivered to a certain areas that do n't have ports . ' And then what happens is that they use dhows that can go in shallow water to deliver to any location , any area , '' Al Muallem said . All of which makes for a happy mix of old and new , helping Dubai sustain the links with its mercantile past while feeding a global appetite for the region 's much-loved traditional fruit .
Dubai 's mix of old and new shipping continues to help date trade thrive . Emirate imports 250,000 tons of dates annually from neighboring countries . Traditional wooden dhows still used to transport dates before transfer to shipping containers .