On January 20, the first meeting of the Ukrainian-Saudi Working Group on Trade and Investment Relations in Agriculture took place. The Ukrainian side was headed by Taras Vysotsky, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, and the Saudi side was headed by William England, Senior Vice President of the SALIC (Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company).

The Working Group was established within the framework of the Memorandum between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on investment cooperation in agriculture (2017) and to implement the agreements reached following the online meeting of co-chairs of the Ukrainian-Saudi Joint Intergovernmental Commission Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Petrashko with the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of KSA Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli (November 2020).

The purpose of this working group is to develop practical steps aimed at expanding the presence of Ukrainian agricultural products in the KSA market, attracting investments from KSA in agricultural development of Ukraine, using KSA logistics facilities to promote Ukrainian products to markets in other countries (Arab states of the Persian Gulf, MENA countries).

Background

Exports of Ukrainian agricultural products to the KSA in January - November 2020 amounted to $ 410.9 million (↑ 11%).

The largest exports comprise cereals, meat and edible co-products, fats and oils, milk and dairy products, poultry eggs, natural honey.