Islamabad, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to increase Islamabad’s agricultural and food exports to Riyadh to USD 3 billion over the next two years, according to a joint statement on Sunday.
The agreement was reached during Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman A Al-Fadley’s visit to Pakistan from August 26 to 28.
He held delegation-level talks with Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met the Saudi delegation and discussed potential areas of cooperation in agriculture and food security.
According to a joint communiqué issued after the visit, rice, red meat, fruits and fruit concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies have been identified as priority areas for enhanced cooperation, particularly with the Saudi private sector.
“Both countries expressed a shared commitment to increasing Pakistan’s exports of agricultural and food products to Saudi Arabia to USD 3 billion, with efforts to achieve this target over the next two years,” according to the statement.
The two sides noted that Pakistan supplied around 169,000 tonnes of rice, worth around USD 163 million, to Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The Saudi side expressed interest in further increasing rice imports from Pakistan in the coming years.
Both sides also reviewed Pakistan’s annual supply of around 30,000 tonnes of red meat to Saudi Arabia, worth USD 167 million.
The two countries also agreed to encourage greater business-to-business linkages and matchmaking between their private sectors and promote mutual recognition of quality certifications to increase exports of fruits and fruit concentrates.
Green fodder was identified as another promising area for expanding trade and establishing long-term supply partnerships.
The two sides welcomed the successful completion of the first phase of a water-efficient irrigation programme in Bhakkar, Punjab, and expressed interest in the proposed second phase for small farmers.
The Saudi delegation also encouraged Pakistan to join the International Dates Council.
Investment proposals presented by Pakistan’s private sector in livestock, agri-food processing and the rice value chain were also reviewed.
During the visit, the Saudi delegation was briefed on the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agriculture and Food Strategic Plan and held meetings with the Special Investment Facilitation Council, Fauji Foundation and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agri-Business Forum. It also visited the National Agricultural Research Centre.
Pakistan has also welcomed an invitation to participate in the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, scheduled to be held in Riyadh from October 19 to 22.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the visit and agreed to maintain close coordination to translate the understandings reached into practical cooperation, the statement said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
