The head of the KSA delegation was the Chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers Hassan bin Mujib Al-Huwaizi, accompanied by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Poland Saad Alsaleh. The Saudi delegation arrived in Warsaw in connection with the Poland – Saudi Arabia Business Forum, held on 19 November 2024.

Potential for the development of bilateral relations

The meeting was a step toward strengthening cooperation between Poland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It also served to define directions for further cooperation in the agri-food sector. The interlocutors agreed that there was a great potential for the development of that cooperation, both for Polish producers and exporters, as well as for Saudi partners.

Position of the Polish party

Deputy Minister Jacek Czerniak stressed that we saw the KSA as an important and prospective partner. He was glad to note that the Polish agricultural export to that country was of high value. At the same time, he informed about the readiness of Poland to increase the value and expand the product range in the export to the Saudi market. He expressed his hope for the intensification of Polish-Saudi relations, particularly, in the commercial aspect. He drew particular attention to the issue of access to the Saudi market for commodities of animal origin from Poland. He reiterated the demand of Poland regarding the recognition of regionalisation of the Polish territory for avian influenza (HPAI).

Position of the Saudi party

The Chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers Hassan bin Mujib Al-Huwaizi expressed the interest of the Saudi party in strengthening cooperation with Poland in the field of agriculture. He informed that KSA saw Poland as a country with great achievements in the field of agriculture. The Saudi party expressed the particular interest in issues such as the development of sustainable agriculture, modern technologies, improved agricultural productivity, animal breeding and organic farming. The Chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers expressed his hope for establishing a partnership between Polish and Saudi entrepreneurs, both in the field of agricultural trade and investment. He also informed about the KSA’s interest in importing beef or lamb and potentially in investments in sheep breeding in Poland.

Findings

The parties expressed their readiness to continue the dialogue. The talks will also be held at expert levels, between entities responsible for specific areas.

Agri-food export to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In 2023, the value of Polish agri-food export to the KSA amounted to more than EUR 440 million. The commodities we exported to the KSA were mainly: tobacco, bread, pastries and other bakery products, food products as well as cheese and curd. In the period January – September 2024, we exported to the KSA the commodities for more than EUR 206 million, mainly bread, pastries and other bakery products, food products, cheese and curd, cigarettes, sweets and dairy products.