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Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley will hold high-level meetings with Pakistani counterparts during his visit on August 25 to advance collaboration in food production, irrigation efficiency and sustainable agriculture. The discussions aim to strengthen food security, boost bilateral trade and explore mutual investments as part of a broader economic partnership between the two countries. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema chaired a preparatory meeting on August 20 that reviewed progress and opportunities in the sector. Pakistani authorities have identified meat, rice, processed food and animal fodder as key areas for joint work.
The Saudi delegation is set to visit the National Agriculture Research Centre where officials will provide a briefing on Pakistan’s research, innovation and development initiatives in agriculture. Al-Fadley and his team will also meet representatives from leading Pakistani agricultural business groups to discuss trade linkages, investment prospects and potential joint ventures. Provincial agriculture ministers are expected to participate in separate sessions to coordinate approaches across regions. These engagements build directly on directives issued during Cheema’s recent inter-ministerial session.
Several memorandums of understanding are scheduled for signature covering food research initiatives and the creation of a Pakistan-Saudi Agri Investment Fund, according to briefing materials from the August 20 meeting. Cheema said the upcoming visit of Saudi Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley would be significant in further strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture and food trade and exploring new avenues for investment and joint ventures. The economic affairs minister instructed departments to finalise commercially focused proposals that align with both nations’ priorities for expanded market access.
Al-Fadley previously received Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Jeddah during the Pakistani leader’s visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month, an encounter that underscored ongoing high-level coordination between the countries. That trip, which included discussions on economic and strategic ties, set the stage for the current ministerial visit focused on translating relations into tangible agricultural outcomes. Pakistani officials have stressed the role of private sector participation in achieving sustainable gains from these exchanges.
The visit extends a pattern of environmental and agricultural cooperation that dates back to a 2022 memorandum of understanding signed by Al-Fadley and Pakistani officials. The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said that earlier agreement targeted increased vegetation cover, desertification combat, coastal biodiversity protection, pollution reduction and improved waste management practices. Subsequent talks in Riyadh in December 2025 further addressed green initiatives and climate resilience measures between the two sides.
Pakistan’s efforts to expand agricultural exports align with Saudi Arabia’s interest in diversified and reliable food supply sources, according to positions outlined in the preparatory meeting. Officials from both countries have highlighted the potential for technology transfer and expertise sharing to modernise production methods on both sides. The planned investment fund is positioned as a vehicle to support such collaborative projects in the coming years.
