KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — As the US-Iran war disrupts shipping routes and drives up logistics costs globally, date wholesalers here say Ramadan staples remain unaffected — for now — thanks to early imports and ample stockpiles.
At Al Badr Trading, a date wholesaler in Danau Kota, Setapak, boxes of imported dates — from Saudi Arabia’s prized Mabroom to Iran’s Mariami — are seen stacked neatly, ready for bulk sale during Ramadan.
“Supply-wise we have no issues since all of our dates were ordered by freight, roughly six months ago, before the war started.
When kept in cold storage, dates can remain in good condition well past their expiry dates, with a shelf life extending up to one to three years.
“And as for prices, we retain them from before the war because we still have stockpiles in our warehouses to last for at least a year,” store manager Laili Wan Jusoh told Malay Mail during a recent visit.
Sweet tradition
Dates are a signature food for breaking the fast, following the sunnah (traditions) of Prophet Muhammad, who broke his fast with fresh dates and water.
This practice dates back to 7th-century Arabia, where dates were a staple food due to their abundance, long shelf life and high energy content — qualities that made them especially suitable for replenishing energy after a day of fasting.
Over time, the tradition became deeply embedded in Muslim cultures worldwide, with dates remaining a symbolic and practical choice to begin iftar during Ramadan.
Apart from the aforementioned dates, Laili said her company also imported dates from Egypt, Algeria and other Ramadan dried staples such as apricot and figs from Turkiye.
The selection includes Algerian dates — notably the premium Deglet Nour variety — alongside Ambar, Ajwa, Medjool and Safawi dates sourced from Medina, Saudi Arabia.
As for dates from Iran, Laili said the company obtains supplies through an intermediary rather than importing directly from the source country as it does with other dates, although it has yet to see any change in prices.
Less than two kilometres away, Salem Aly of At-Tur Bazar Kurma echoed a similar sentiment.
“Our kurma supplies arrived way before Ramadan started and we have no supply issues because our customers mostly pre-order from us in bulk.
Nevertheless, Salem acknowledged the issue of supplies and prices impacted by the conflict in the Middle East but assured that dates sold by his wholesale business remains unaffected.
“We know how much we need to order and there is no problem with leftovers because we can keep them in cold storage,” he said when met at his wholesale store.
“Medina-sourced dates like Ajwa and Safawi can be kept up to three years in cold storage and still remain fresh after.”
Still, Salem expects prices to rise in the future as Iran maintains its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Middle East to the Arabian Sea and beyond, through which a significant share of global oil and trade flows.
Global headwinds
With the US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight, the critical Strait, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, remains largely closed off, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.
“Maybe if you order (dates) now, prices may have changed and there is no guarantee of shipment arriving timely.
“But for dates, our retail prices remain unchanged because these are ordered before the war,” he said.
Shawqi cited imported chocolate from Uzbekistan as one of the affected goods, noting that prices have risen by about five per cent while shipments are being delayed.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and plunging the Middle East into war.
The strikes mark one of the most serious direct escalations between Israel and Iran in recent years, amid fragile diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme and growing regional tensions.
You May Also Like