KSA eyes corporate farming investment in Pakistan

Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in investing in corporate-scale farming in Pakistan under structured, long-term arrangements, read a statement on Wednesday.

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 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.

Jam Kamal noted that export-oriented investment models could help revive agricultural output while supporting downstream industries, including textiles and yarn.

The meeting also reflected strong convergence of views on adopting an investment-led and partnership-based approach to economic cooperation. 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 two sides agreed that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, by leveraging their respective strengths, can position themselves as complementary partners—combining Pakistan’s production capabilities with Saudi Arabia’s capital strength, market access, and regional connectivity.

Human resource development emerged as another important area of collaboration. Both sides agreed that the most acute shortages across healthcare, hospitality, and services lie in the nurses, caregivers, technicians, and mid-tier hospitality staff, rather than senior professionals.

H.E. Eng. Ibrahim Al-Mubarak shared Saudi Arabia’s experience in vocational training and skills development and expressed openness to replicating train-to-deploy models in Pakistan, linking training programs with employment opportunities abroad.

Opportunities in building materials and construction inputs were also discussed, with the Saudi side noting substantial import requirements for products such as limestone, marble, aggregates, and other materials not locally available. It was agreed that focused engagement between Pakistani suppliers and Saudi building material trading companies could deliver early outcomes through direct private-sector matchmaking.

Both sides also exchanged views on expanding cooperation in pharmaceuticals, sports goods, footwear, and light manufacturing, recognising Pakistan’s growing industrial base and the scope for joint ventures, contract manufacturing, and split-production models targeting regional and global markets.

The meeting concluded with an understanding to pursue follow-up through sector-specific workshops and business-to-business engagements, aimed at translating policy alignment into tangible trade flows, investment projects, and employment generation, further strengthening Pakistan–Saudi Arabia economic relations.