Islamabad, Riyadh agree to boost Pakistani agri and food exports to $3bn

Islamabad and Riyadh have reached an agreement to increase Pakistani agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia by $3 billion, according to a joint statement released on Sunday. The agreement was forged after discussions between the Saudi agriculture ministry and Pakistan's food security ministry, facilitated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

A Saudi delegation, led by Environment, Water, and Agriculture Minister Engineer Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, visited Islamabad from August 26 to August 28. During this visit, the delegation met with Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to discuss potential areas of cooperation. The two countries have identified rice, red meat, fruits, green fodder, and water-efficient agricultural technologies as priority sectors for collaboration.

Pakistan has already supplied around 169,000 tonnes of rice worth $163 million to Saudi Arabia in 2025, and there is potential to double imports of red meat, currently around 30,000 tonnes worth $167 million annually. The Saudi delegation showed interest in expanding the share of Pakistan's fruits and fruit concentrates in the Saudi market.

Both countries welcomed the successful implementation of the first phase of a water-efficient irrigation program in Punjab's Bhakkar district and expressed interest in a proposed second phase targeting small farmers. They also encouraged Pakistan to join the International Dates Council. The Pakistani delegation, led by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, included representatives from the private sector in rice, red meat, processed food, fruit concentrates, and green fodder sectors.

Both nations reaffirmed their deep and historic ties and their broader strategic partnership, agreeing to maintain coordination to translate their understandings into practical cooperation.