Pakistan’s value-added fruit industry has highlighted key challenges and proposed practical solutions to significantly enhance exports to Saudi Arabia following the signing of the tripartite defense agreement described as the “Makkah Pact”.
A detailed briefing was given to H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, in the presence of Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, PM’s Coordinator on Agriculture Ahmed Umair, and senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of National Food Security & Research.
Waheed Ahmed, Patron-in-Chief of the All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters Association (APFVEA), said that while Pakistan has the capacity to become a major supplier, the industry currently faces high tariffs, lack of direct B2B linkages, and limited recognition of international certifications in the Saudi market.
Saudi Arabia imported around $448 million worth of fruit and vegetable concentrates globally in 2025, whereas Pakistan’s exports to the Kingdom stood at only $525,000, giving Pakistan a share of less than 0.15% of the Saudi import market.
“The Makkah Pact has opened a new chapter in Pakistan-Saudi relations. Despite existing challenges, our value-added fruit industry is ready to translate this growing strategic partnership into stronger economic and trade ties. Pakistan has the raw material, processing capacity and international quality credentials to become a reliable supplier to the Saudi food and beverage industry,” Waheed Ahmed said.
He added that Pakistan’s objective was to capture a substantially larger share of Saudi Arabia’s value-added fruit, juice and concentrate market through processed products and long-term industrial partnerships.
Pakistan produces around 6.8 million tonnes of major fruits annually, including 1.8 million tonnes of mangoes, 2.1 to 2.5 million tonnes of kinnow, 800,000 tonnes of guava, 550,000 to 650,000 tonnes of dates and 522,000 to 600,000 tonnes of apples.
In 2025, Pakistani companies exported 10,418 tonnes of fruit concentrates worth $28 million to international markets. Major global companies including Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Unilever and Döhler have already qualified Pakistani processors.
Waheed Ahmed particularly highlighted Pakistan’s Chaunsa mango, whose pulp has a Brix level of around 22±1, offering cost efficiencies to Saudi beverage manufacturers. Pakistan’s fruit concentrate industry has an estimated capacity of 130,000 tonnes annually, supported by modern processing facilities and certifications including GlobalG.A.P., FSSC 22000, HACCP, ISO 22000, SEDEX/SMETA and Halal.
To overcome existing barriers, the industry has proposed preferential tariff treatment of 5 to 10 percent for processed fruit concentrates under an enhanced trade arrangement, along with government-to-government matchmaking between Pakistani exporters and Saudi food manufacturers.
The industry has also requested that internationally recognized third-party certifications such as SGS be accepted as standardized proof of quality to ensure fair and consistent access for Pakistani suppliers to Saudi procurement channels.
According to Waheed Ahmed, Pakistani processors can supply up to 6,000 tonnes within three months, increase supplies to 18,000 tonnes within 12 months, and potentially reach 55,000 tonnes within three years with additional investment in processing and aseptic-filling capacity.
“We want to see Pakistan move from a negligible supplier to a meaningful and strategic partner in Saudi Arabia’s value-added fruit and beverage supply chain. With preferential market access, direct engagement with Saudi buyers and investment in processing, we can substantially increase our exports to the Kingdom,” Ahmed said.
The proposed roadmap envisages immediate engagement with Saudi buyers and product approvals through the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, followed by long-term B2B partnerships and stronger bilateral industry engagement.
Over the next three years, it also envisions foreign investment and seed-to-export integration between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The initiative covers mango pulp, apple and guava purée, kinnow concentrate, apple juice concentrate, date syrup and other fruit concentrates, positioning Pakistan’s value-added fruit industry to benefit from deeper economic cooperation between the two countries.
