ISLAMABAD, November 3, 2026: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have discussed joint investment in modern slaughterhouses and livestock farms alongside measures to expand Pakistani agricultural exports, including Basmati rice and halal meat, to the Saudi market.
The proposals were discussed during a meeting between Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Rajeh Tami Albugamy on Tuesday.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in agriculture, livestock, trade and investment, including follow-up measures after the recent visit of Saudi Arabia’s agriculture minister.
Both sides reviewed the establishment of a joint technical team tasked with advancing cooperation in priority sectors and addressing barriers affecting agricultural trade.
Rana Tanveer Hussain expressed Pakistan’s readiness to increase exports of Basmati rice, halal meat, livestock products and green fodder to Saudi Arabia.
A major focus of the discussions was improving Pakistan’s position in the Saudi rice market.
The Saudi ambassador noted that Pakistani rice currently accounts for approximately 10 percent of Saudi rice imports, compared with around 90 percent from India.
Both sides discussed measures to improve the quality, competitiveness, supply volumes and packaging of Pakistani rice to meet Saudi commercial requirements.
They also explored opportunities to promote Pakistani Basmati rice through participation in agricultural exhibitions and other promotional activities in Saudi Arabia.
In the livestock sector, Pakistan proposed expanding halal meat exports by strengthening production capacity and developing modern processing facilities.
Officials noted that 17 of Pakistan’s 31 slaughterhouses had received approval following technical assessments by Saudi authorities.
The federal minister proposed Saudi investment in high-capacity slaughterhouses and associated livestock farms through joint ventures with Pakistani businesses.
The proposed partnerships would focus on developing disease-controlled livestock supply chains and improving Pakistan’s capacity to meet export requirements.
The meeting also reviewed cooperation in nine identified priority areas, including rice, meat, livestock, green fodder and dry camel milk.
Both sides emphasised the role of private-sector investment and business-to-business partnerships in converting these opportunities into commercial projects.
The Saudi ambassador expressed his country’s willingness to increase purchases of Pakistani agricultural products, provided they meet internationally competitive standards for quality, pricing, quantity and packaging.
He also assured support from the Saudi Embassy in coordinating with relevant authorities and addressing outstanding trade-related issues.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to use the recently established technical mechanism to resolve regulatory and commercial obstacles and accelerate cooperation in the identified sectors.
The discussions reflected efforts to expand bilateral economic engagement through agricultural trade, livestock development and private-sector investment.