ع
A Saudi delegation led by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli visited Pakistan from August 26 to 28 at the invitation of the government, according to the joint statement released by Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office. The minister held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials, including Minister of National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, to discuss strengthening cooperation in food security and agriculture. The statement highlighted the strong alignment between Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 priorities and Pakistan’s capacity to expand agricultural exports, setting the stage for the ambitious target.
The two sides expressed their shared commitment to increasing Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia to $3 billion, with efforts to achieve this target over the next two years, the joint statement said. Rice, red meat, fruits and their concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies were identified as priority sectors for collaboration with the Saudi private sector. In 2025 Pakistan supplied around 169,000 tonnes of rice to the Saudi market valued at $163 million, while annual red meat exports stand at approximately 30,000 tonnes worth $167 million.
Saudi officials indicated interest in expanding rice trade and gradually doubling red meat imports from Pakistan, according to the statement. The delegations also agreed to increase Pakistan’s share in the Saudi fruit market by empowering the private sector, facilitating business-to-business communication and expanding mutual recognition of quality certificates. Green fodder was singled out for developing long-term supply partnerships that could benefit both economies.
Satisfaction was expressed with the completion of the first phase of the Water-Saving Irrigation Program in Bhakkar district of Punjab, with both sides showing interest in implementing a second phase focused on small farmers, the statement reported. Investment proposals submitted by the Pakistani private sector in livestock, agricultural processing and rice value addition were reviewed as part of the talks. The Saudi delegation received briefings on Pakistan’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Food Security during visits to key institutions including the Special Investment Facilitation Council and the National Agricultural Research Centre.
An AGBI report published in October 2024 indicated that bilateral trade had risen 80 percent to $5.4 billion since 2019, providing a foundation for the latest export drive. The current agreement seeks to translate this momentum into concrete gains for food security on both sides through coordinated investment and technology transfer. The statement emphasised that greater private-sector involvement would be essential to turning the outlined priorities into tangible projects.
The Pakistani side welcomed an invitation to the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition to be held in Riyadh during October, as noted in the joint statement. Officials from both countries agreed to maintain close coordination to follow up on the identified opportunities and ensure implementation of the outlined measures.
