Islamabad, Riyadh agree to boost Pakistani agri and food exports to $3bn

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have committed to lifting Pakistani farm and food shipments to the kingdom to as much as $3bn, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday. The statement, released through the Prime Minister's Office, followed talks between the agriculture ministry of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's food security ministry, which were initiated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The aim is to reach that level within the next two years.

The joint statement named rice, red meat, fruit products, green fodder and water-saving farm technology as priority areas for joint work with Saudi businesses. In 2025 the kingdom took about 169,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice, valued near $163 million. A Saudi delegation also indicated it wants to gradually double its purchases of Pakistani red meat, which stood at roughly 30,000 tonnes worth about $167 million annually.

Saudi Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley led the delegation, which was in Islamabad between August 26 and 28 and met the Special Investment Facilitation Council, Fauji Foundation and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agri-Business Forum. Both sides said they will keep coordinating to turn the understandings into practical cooperation. An invitation to the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, running in the Saudi capital on October 19 through 22, was welcomed by Pakistan.