Pakistan, KSA set to deepen agriculture and food trade cooperation

Pakistan is seeking to expand exports of agricultural and food products to Saudi Arabia as the two countries explore new opportunities for trade, investment and private-sector partnerships.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Senator Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting to review progress on efforts to strengthen agricultural and food trade with Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on boosting exports, strengthening bilateral market linkages and creating new avenues for investment and private-sector partnerships.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul, Secretary National Food Security and Research Amer Ali Ahmad, Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Sohail Ashraf, officials of the Foreign Office and representatives of other concerned departments attended the meeting.

The Federal Minister said the upcoming visit of Saudi Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley to Pakistan would be significant in further strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture and food trade and exploring new avenues for investment and joint ventures.

The meeting was informed that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had identified four key areas for cooperation in the food sector, including meat, rice, processed food and animal fodder.

The Saudi delegation is expected to meet provincial agriculture ministers and visit the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), where it will be briefed on agricultural research and development in Pakistan.

The delegation will also meet representatives of leading Pakistani agricultural business groups to explore opportunities for trade, investment and joint ventures.

Officials said several memorandums of understanding were expected to be signed during the visit, including agreements related to food research and a proposed Pakistan-Saudi Agri Investment Fund.

Ahad Cheema highlighted that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is particularly keen to deepen economic and agricultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia and translate the longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries into stronger trade, investment and mutually beneficial economic partnerships.

The Minister directed all relevant departments to ensure close coordination and develop concrete, commercially viable proposals aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia.

He expressed the hope that the upcoming visit would provide fresh momentum to bilateral economic relations and result in tangible progress in agricultural trade, investment, research and joint ventures between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.