Leftover materials from palm trees and dates in Qassim Region can be turned into handicrafts, farm inputs and industrial goods, adding to the palm's economic value beyond date production while cutting waste.

These residues include fronds, palm ribs, frond bases, palm fibers, date clusters and date pits, and how they are used depends on their properties and on what each application requires.

Handicrafts remain a key traditional outlet. Artisan Saleh Al-Abboudi said working with palm materials involves choosing, cleaning, drying and preparing the raw material before shaping it into the finished product.

Other possible uses include fiberboard, organic fertilizer, animal feed and bioenergy, while lower-grade dates can go into date-based products, reducing food loss.

Investment opportunities range from plants that convert waste into fertilizer, feed and wood substitutes to new food and industrial products made from dates and their pits, offering small and medium-sized enterprises ways to diversify income in farming areas.