Synonyms: Sayir, Saiir, Sai, Ista’amran, Usta Imran, Sta’amran, Sa’amran, Sambran, ‘Amran
Origin: Iraq
Meaning: Common, found everywhere (Bonavia 1885)
History: A soft date, Fairchild introduced Sayer from Iraq in 1902. Poponoe imported additional offshoots in 1913, but few survived.  By 1946, there were about 300 palms in Arizona’s Salt River Valley but only a few palms in California. According to Dowson (1923), Sayer was the most common variety in southern Iraq.  The fruit were extensively exported and were the principle variety among the cheap, soft, imported dates first sold in the United States. Dowson (2923) recognized two strains of Sayer. In one, khalal fruit are solid yellow, while in the other there are yellow flushed with pink. Only the latter type is grown in Arizona and California.