Islamabad: Pakistan is prepared to expand its agricultural exports to Saudi Arabia, focusing on key products such as Basmati rice, halal meat, livestock products, and green fodder, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain stated during a meeting with the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Rajeh Tami Al-Bugamy.

According to Radio Pakistan, the meeting underscored the commitment of both nations to leverage their strong political ties for enhanced economic and agricultural collaboration. The dialogue included discussions on the follow-up to the recent visit by the Saudi Minister of Agriculture and the creation of a joint technical team to facilitate cooperation in identified priority areas.

A significant focus of the meeting was on increasing Pakistan’s share in the Saudi rice market. It was noted that 17 out of 31 Pakistani slaughterhouses had received approval following a Saudi technical assessment, highlighting a step forward in meeting the required standards for export.

The discussions identified nine priority areas of cooperation, including rice, meat and livestock, green fodder, and dry camel milk. The Saudi Ambassador conveyed his country’s readiness to augment procurement of Pakistani agricultural products, contingent upon meeting international standards of quality, pricing, quantity, and packaging.

Both parties agreed to make active use of the recently established technical mechanism to overcome trade and regulatory challenges, aiming to expedite progress in the areas of cooperation that have been identified.