The interlocutors agreed that our countries share friendly relations, which constitutes an excellent basis for building mutually beneficial trade relations.

Poland's position

Deputy Prime Minister Kowalczyk confirmed his interest in strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia in the area of agriculture and trade in food products. He positively assessed the progress in eliminating barriers in access of Polish products to the Saudi market.

“Being an important food producer, Poland is ready to expand cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in increasing exports and the range of products exported to the Saudi market,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Henryk Kowalczyk.

He also encouraged the Saudi partners to take interest in the export offer of Polish apples, which are one of the specialities of the national agriculture and appreciated by consumers around the world.

Saudi position

Ambassador Saad Alsaleh admitted that Poland was an important trade partner for Saudi Arabia. He expressed his conviction that ensuring food security was currently of great importance for many countries. In this context, he referred to the possibility of deepening cooperation with Poland in the field of trade in agricultural and food products. He also mentioned the opportunity of establishing cooperation regarding the use of modern technologies in agricultural production. At the same time, he drew attention to the possibility of importing Saudi dates, which is  becoming increasingly popular in the world.

Assessment of the cooperation

The interlocutors agreed that the current trade exchange in the agri-food sector did not reflect the real economic potential of both countries. The Deputy Prime Minister concluded that we can strengthen the cooperation under the "apples for dates" concept. At the same time, he expressed hope that the Polish-Saudi trade will soon cover a much wider range of goods than before.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most important non-EU recipients of agricultural and food goods from Poland. In 2021, the value of exports in this group of commodities to the Saudi market amounted to EUR 510 million.