ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to boost Pakistani agricultural and food exports to the kingdom up to $3 billion, both nations said in a joint statement issued on Sunday.
Calling it an initiative of PM Shehbaz Sharif, his office said the agreement was reached following successful talks between Saudi Arabia’s agriculture ministry and Pakistan’s food security ministry.
At the invitation of the Pakistani government, a Saudi delegation led by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Engineer Abdulrahman Al-Fadley had visited Islamabad from August 26 to August 28.
The delegation included senior officials from Riyadh’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the General Food Security Authority and other relevant institutions.
Rice, red meat, fruit concentrates and green fodder identified as priority sectors, with target to be met within two years
PM Shehbaz met the Saudi delegation and discussed potential areas of cooperation in detail, the joint statement said, referring to Friday’s meeting.
“The two countries expressed their shared commitment to increase Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia to $3bn, with efforts to be made to achieve the target over the next two years,” it read.
“For this purpose, rice, red meat, fruits and their concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies were identified as priority sectors in collaboration with the Saudi private sector.”
During the visit, the two sides held briefings on the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agriculture and Food Strategic Plan and meetings with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Fauji Foundation and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agri-Business Forum.
The Saudi delegation also visited the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC).
Reaffirming their deep and historic ties, the two sides highlighted the strong alignment between Saudi Arabia’s food security priorities under Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s agricultural and food export sector.
The delegations noted that Pakistan supplied around 169,000 tonnes of rice worth about $163 million to the Saudi market in 2025. The Saudi team expressed interest in further increasing bilateral rice trade in the coming years, according to the joint statement.
Furthermore, the Saudi delegation expressed interest in gradually doubling imports of red meat from Pakistan, as both sides reviewed Islamabad’s annual supply of around 30,000 tonnes of red meat worth approximately $167m.
Regarding fruits and fruit concentrates, the two sides highlighted significant potential to further increase Pakistan’s share of the Saudi market. They encouraged measures to facilitate business-to-business linkages and matchmaking between the private sectors of the two countries, as well as the mutual recognition of quality certifications.
The Saudi side identified green fodder as a promising area for expanding trade and establishing long-term supply partnerships, the joint statement said.
Both countries welcomed the successful completion of the first phase of a water-efficient irrigation programme in Punjab’s Bhakkar and expressed interest in a 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.
The two sides also reviewed investment proposals put forward by Pakistan’s private sector in livestock, agri-food processing and the rice value chain, and agreed to maintain coordination to pursue cooperation in these areas.
“Both countries reaffirmed their broader strategic partnership,” the statement read.
Pakistan also welcomed an invitation to participate in the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, scheduled to be held in Riyadh from October 19 to 22.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the visit and agreed to maintain coordination to translate the understandings reached into practical cooperation.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and included its Secretary Aamir Ali Ahmed, Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, PM’s Coordinator for Agriculture and Food Security Ahmed Umair, and private-sector representatives from Pakistan’s rice, red meat, processed food/fruit concentrate and green fodder sectors.
Prior to the Saudi delegation’s visit this week, Assistant Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Al-Mubarak had toured Islamabad in February, when he expressed interest in investing in corporate farming in Pakistan’s rice sector.
Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2026
