Saudi Arabia on Wednesday expressed keen interest in investing in corporate-scale farming in Pakistan under structured, long-term arrangements, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel.
The development came during a high-level meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Ibrahim Al‑Mubarak, Assistant Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, held to review and advance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and joint engagement in regional markets.
During the meeting, the Saudi Arabian side expressed interest in corporate farming in Pakistan. It was noted that Pakistan already meets quality requirements, and that investment in corporate-scale farming, mechanisation, storage, and logistics could enable consistent exports of rice from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia under structured, long-term arrangements.
More broadly, in agriculture and food security, discussions covered cooperation in rice, fodder (including alfalfa), meat, and selected agri-products.
Both sides also explored the potential role of Saudi financing institutions in supporting export-linked agricultural and infrastructure projects in Pakistan, particularly those aligned with a guaranteed offtake to Saudi Arabia.
The meeting also examined corporate farming and mechanisation as long-term solutions to productivity challenges, including in crops such as cotton, where declining yields and high manual input costs have affected competitiveness.
Both sides emphasised the importance of enhancing competitiveness, scaling up production, and strengthening value chains to unlock Pakistan’s export potential and meet growing regional demand sustainably.
A key focus of the discussion was the joint exploration of regional markets, particularly Central Asia, Africa, and ASEAN, identified as high-growth regions offering significant opportunities for collaboration.
The meeting concluded with an understanding to pursue follow-up through sector-specific workshops and business-to-business.
Reporter: Waqas Azeem