Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Target $3bn Agricultural and Food Exports
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to work towards raising Pakistani agricultural and food exports to the Kingdom to $3 billion over the next two years, opening a potentially significant new phase in bilateral trade and food-security cooperation. The understanding emerged from high-level agricultural talks held during a Saudi delegation's visit to Islamabad from August 26 to 28.
The Saudi delegation was led by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Engineer Abdulrahman A. Al-Fadley and included senior officials from the ministry, the General Food Security Authority and related organisations. Pakistan's side was led by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, alongside senior officials and representatives from agricultural and food businesses. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met the Saudi delegation to review opportunities for expanding economic cooperation.
A joint communiqué identified rice, red meat, fruits and fruit concentrates, green fodder and water-efficient agricultural technologies as priority sectors. The two sides intend to increase commercial engagement between Pakistani suppliers and Saudi buyers while exploring investment opportunities that can support Riyadh's food-security priorities and expand Pakistan's access to one of its important Gulf markets.
Rice is expected to remain a major part of the expanding trade relationship. Pakistan supplied around 169,000 tonnes of rice worth approximately $163 million to Saudi Arabia in 2025, and the Saudi side expressed interest in increasing those purchases. Officials also reviewed the red-meat trade, with Pakistan currently supplying around 30,000 tonnes annually valued at roughly $167 million. Saudi Arabia indicated interest in gradually doubling imports of Pakistani red meat.
Fruit, fruit concentrates and green fodder were also highlighted as areas with room for substantial growth. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to facilitate business-to-business contacts and matchmaking between companies while encouraging progress towards mutual recognition of quality certifications. Such measures would be important for Pakistani exporters seeking to meet Saudi regulatory requirements and secure longer-term supply arrangements.
Agricultural technology forms another part of the emerging partnership. Both sides welcomed completion of the first phase of a water-efficient irrigation programme in Bhakkar, Punjab, and discussed a second phase designed to benefit small farmers. Cooperation in water-saving agricultural systems could have wider importance for Pakistan, where efficient irrigation is increasingly important for improving productivity and managing pressure on water resources.
The Saudi delegation also encouraged Pakistan to join the International Dates Council, a proposal welcomed by Islamabad. During its visit, the delegation held discussions with the Special Investment Facilitation Council, Fauji Foundation and the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Agribusiness Forum and visited the National Agricultural Research Centre. Investment proposals involving livestock, agri-food processing and the rice value chain were reviewed as both sides examined ways to turn political commitments into commercial projects.
Pakistan has also been invited to participate in the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition in Riyadh from October 19 to 22, 2026, providing another platform for exporters and investors to develop partnerships. The next phase will focus on business matchmaking, certification arrangements, proposed investments and continued government-level coordination. If implemented effectively, the $3 billion target could expand Pakistan's agricultural export earnings, create new opportunities for producers and processors and deepen the economic dimension of the longstanding Pakistan-Saudi relationship.