Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen agricultural cooperation and work toward increasing Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia to $3 billion within two years.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and food security, with both sides setting a target of increasing Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia to $3 billion within the next two years.
The agreement was reached during a visit by a Saudi delegation led by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman A. Al-Fadley to Islamabad from Aug. 26 to 28, 2026. The delegation included senior officials from the ministry, the General Food Security Authority and related institutions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the Saudi delegation and discussed potential areas of cooperation. Pakistan’s delegation was led by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain.
According to the joint statement, rice, red meat, fruits and fruit concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies were identified as priority areas for cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s private sector.
Pakistan supplied approximately 169,000 tons of rice to Saudi Arabia in 2025, valued at around $163 million. The Saudi side expressed interest in further increasing bilateral rice trade in the coming years.
The two sides also reviewed Pakistan’s annual supply of around 30,000 tons of red meat, worth approximately $167 million. Saudi Arabia expressed interest in gradually doubling red meat imports from Pakistan.
Both sides highlighted opportunities to expand Pakistan’s share of the Saudi fruit and fruit concentrate market and encouraged stronger private-sector business links, matchmaking and mutual recognition of quality certifications.
Saudi officials also identified green fodder as a promising area for expanded trade and long-term supply partnerships. The two countries welcomed the successful completion of the first phase of a water-efficient irrigation program in Bhakkar, Punjab, and expressed interest in a proposed second phase for small farmers.
The two sides also reviewed investment proposals from Pakistan’s private sector in livestock, agri-food processing and the rice value chain.
Saudi Arabia invited Pakistan to participate in the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, scheduled for Oct. 19-22, 2026, in Riyadh. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the visit and agreed to maintain coordination to implement the understandings reached.
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