Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have set a target of $3 billion for agricultural and food exports.
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have issued a joint declaration to strengthen their partnership in agriculture and food security, with Saudi Arabia targeting to increase imports of Pakistani rice, red meat, processed food, fruits and fruit concentrates and green fodder to $3 billion.
According to the statement, the Saudi delegation led by Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture Engineer Abdul Rehman A. Al-Alfadli visited Islamabad from 26 to 28 August 2026 at the invitation of the Government of Pakistan. The delegation included senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, General Food Security Authority and other relevant institutions.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also met the Saudi delegation and discussed possible areas of cooperation.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and included Commerce Secretary Jawad Pal, Secretary National Food Security and Research Aamir Ali Ahmed, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture and Food Security Ahmed Uamir and representatives of Pakistan’s rice, red meat, processed food, fruit concentrate and green fodder sectors.
During the visit, the Saudi delegation was briefed on the Pakistan Saudi Arabia Agriculture and Food Strategic Plan. Meetings were also held with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Fuji Foundation and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agribusiness Forum, while the delegation also visited the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC).
Both sides reaffirmed the deep, historical and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia dating back to 1947. He highlighted the strong alignment between Saudi Arabia’s food security priorities under Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s agricultural and food export sector.
3 billion dollar export target
Both countries expressed their joint commitment to increase Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia. 3 billion dollarswith efforts to achieve the target over the next two years.
Rice, red meat, fruits and fruit concentrates, green fodder, and water-efficient agricultural technologies were identified as priority areas with Saudi private sector support.
Exports of rice
Regarding rice, the two sides noted that Pakistan had supplied about 169,000 tons of rice worth $163 million to the Saudi market in 2025.
The Saudi delegation expressed interest in further expanding bilateral rice trade in the coming years.
Red meat
In the red meat sector, the two sides reviewed the annual supply of about 30,000 tonnes of red meat to Pakistan worth about $167 million.
The Saudi side expressed interest in gradually doubling red meat imports from Pakistan.
Fruit and fruit concentrates
Both the parties highlighted the remarkable possibilities of increasing Pakistan’s share in the Saudi fruit market.
He encouraged initiatives for mutual recognition of quality certification as well as facilitating business-to-business linkages and matchmaking between the private sectors of the two countries.
Green fodder and water efficient agriculture
The Saudi side identified green fodder as a promising area to expand trade and establish long-term supply partnerships.
Both countries welcomed the successful completion of the first phase of the water conservation program in Bhakkar, Punjab, and expressed interest in the proposed second phase targeting small farmers.
The Saudi delegation also encouraged Pakistan to join the International Dates Council, a proposal welcomed by the Pakistani side.
Both sides also reviewed investment proposals presented by Pakistan’s private sector in livestock, agri-food processing and rice value chain and agreed to continue coordination to promote these opportunities.
The two countries reiterated their broader strategic partnership and welcomed the invitation to participate in the 43rd Saudi Agricultural Exhibition to be held in Riyadh from 19 to 22 October 2026.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the visit and agreed to maintain coordination to convert the agreement reached into practical cooperation.
The post Pakistan, Saudi Arabia set a target of 3 billion dollars for agricultural and food exports appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
Stay updated with the latest alerts on this story:
View Original Coverage