ISLAMABAD: A Saudi Arabia-backed irrigation partnership with Pakistan has helped increase yields of wheat, fodder and other crops in the South Asian country, Pakistani and Saudi officials said on Thursday, amid efforts by both sides to promote water efficiency and sustainable agriculture.
This was announced at a ceremony held in Islamabad related to the collaboration, under which Saudi Arabia provided 10 state-of-the-art irrigation systems to Pakistan last year. The event was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Suliman bin Ali Al-Khateeb.
Dr. Al-Khateeb underscored Riyadh’s growing role in advancing sustainable agriculture by supporting the Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI). The GPI is an agricultural project that is a joint effort between the Pakistani government and the country’s army.
According to its website, GPI aims to enhance agricultural development in Pakistan. As per an official, a total of 1,36,000 acres of barren land have been cultivated in Pakistan under the GPI, with 64 partners in the private and public sectors.
“These irrigation systems were aimed at improving water efficiency and boosting crop yields in Pakistan,” he said.
He added that the collaboration between the two states will introduce a shared technology for a sustainable agricultural system.
A documentary screened at the event showcased a flagship project in the eastern city of Bhakkar, where barren land was transformed into a productive agricultural farm within three months using modern agricultural techniques provided by Saudi Arabia.
The initiative features a Rs5 billion [$17.9 million] Saudi Arabia-funded advanced irrigation system, which has enabled the conversion of around 1,500 acres of previously uncultivated land into fertile farmland.
Maj. Gen. (retd.) Shahid Nazir, director-general of strategic projects at the Green Corporate Initiative, which is part of the GPI, highlighted that the Saudi-backed irrigation systems helped cultivate wheat, fodder and other crops on Pakistani lands that were previously uncultivated.
“This was the inauguration session of the installation of these 10 pivot systems, which we have done in a record time of just 70 days,” Nazir told Arab News.
He said both countries are focusing on conserving water in Pakistan with the help of these high-efficiency irrigation systems.
“And we have turned a lot of brown areas into green areas in Pakistan in the desert areas in collaboration with our partners,” Nazir said.
Pakistani officials at the event said the project aligns with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to secure stable food supply chains through strategic overseas partnerships.
With shorter distances and faster logistics, Pakistan is well-positioned to supply agricultural commodities to the Kingdom more efficiently than distant markets, they said.
According to officials, wheat yields have significantly improved under the project, rising from an average of 28–30 maunds per acre under traditional irrigation methods to around 45–50 maunds per acre using the high-efficiency systems.
Nazir said the government is also promoting modern irrigation techniques such as sprinklers and drip systems for smaller farms, supported by subsidies, to replicate the gains achieved in large-scale projects.
He said 64 modern farms developed between 2023 and 2026 under GPI include olive plantations in Balochistan and palm oil farms in Sindh, further diversifying Pakistan’s agricultural output.
Dr. Al-Khateeb said the partnership was beneficial for both countries.
“These crops will also give a sustainable agricultural production, not only for Pakistan but also to be exported to Saudi Arabia,” he said.
