Pakistan, Saudi Arabia set $3b food export target
Rice and red meat lead priority areas for trade expansion
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to double their food exports to one another within the next two years, with a target of $3 billion in agricultural and food trade, according to a joint statement following high-level talks in Islamabad. The focus of cooperation is on rice, red meat, fruits, fruit concentrates, green fodder, and water-efficient agricultural technologies.
The talks were part of Saudi Minister of Agriculture Abdulrahman A Al-Fadley's visit to Pakistan from August 26 to 28. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with the Saudi delegation, which emphasized the strong alignment between Saudi Arabia's food security priorities under Vision 2030 and Pakistan's agricultural export potential. The Pakistani delegation, led by Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, briefed the Saudis on the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agriculture and Food Strategic Plan and met with various organizations, including the Special Investment Facilitation Council and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agri-Business Forum.
Pakistan currently supplies 169,000 tonnes of rice to Saudi Arabia annually, valued at approximately $163 million, and the Saudis are interested in expanding this trade further. In the red meat sector, Pakistan exports around 30,000 tonnes annually to Saudi Arabia, worth about $167 million, and the Saudis are interested in doubling these imports.
Both sides agreed to encourage stronger private-sector linkages, business matchmaking, and mutual recognition of quality certifications. The Saudi delegation also expressed interest in Pakistan's participation in the International Dates Council and a proposed water-efficient irrigation program in Bhakkar, Punjab.
Written by urgent.news from The Express Tribune - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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