Do you love cola? Are you searching for an alternative to a cold can of the sweet beverage in the summer heat? Do you want to avert cola's sugar toll and avoid health concerns related to it?

The answer can be 'Milaf Cola'. In a bid to promote the booming date industry in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi company has introduced an innovative solution that promises to quench thirst while providing a cola with no added sugar.

The Saudi Minister of Agriculture officially launched Milaf Cola as part of the product line of Thurath Al Madina, a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

"Thurath Al Madina aims to diversify date-based products locally and for export through its Milaf brand," the company said on X.

"Future plans include collaborations with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and the National Centre for Palms and Dates to promote dates as high-nutrition foods worldwide," it added.

The product, introduced at the Riyadh Date Festival, is set to enter the Saudi market soon.

Eng Bandar Al-Qahtani, CEO of Thurath Al Madina, highlighted the company’s mission to increase the value of Saudi dates, create international demand, and produce high-quality, healthy products.

The kingdom's Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture said that the date production has surpassed the needs of the country, having exceeded 1.6 million tons annually. This surge is attributed to the expansion of palm cultivation on 165,000 hectares.