Establishment of Pakistan–Saudi Arabia food export task force urged

According to Business Recorder, Mian Zahid Hussain has proposed a joint agri-food export task force between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with product-specific targets and monthly progress reports. He also called for quicker clearances for abattoirs, meat processors and packing facilities. Hussain, who chairs several business and policy bodies, stressed investment in cold storage and refrigerated trucks, along with dependable shipping routes to Jeddah and Dammam.

He welcomed a bilateral understanding aimed at raising yearly farm and food shipments to the Kingdom to $3 billion within two years. He credited the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with providing a base for ties among the three countries. A Saudi delegation led by Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley visited Islamabad from August 26 to 28 and listed rice, halal meat, fresh fruit, animal feed and water-saving farm technology among priority areas.

Hussain noted that Pakistan's shipments of goods to Saudi Arabia reached roughly $692 million in 2025, meaning current export capacity would need to grow over fourfold to reach the goal. He said Saudi Arabia imports around 70 percent of its food and has a food-retail market worth over $50 billion, but Pakistan will also contend with rivals such as India, Brazil, Australia and Thailand. He added that pricing, reliable supply, traceability, packaging quality, halal certification and adherence to Saudi food-safety rules will determine success.