UAE to Establish Three Date Processing Plants in Pakistan to Boost Agri-Trade

Historic Partnership Forged

In a significant move to bolster agricultural cooperation and trade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan have reached an agreement for the establishment of three modern date processing plants in Pakistan. This landmark decision was made during a virtual summit held on October 30, 2025, marking a new chapter in the economic ties between the two nations.

The agreement was finalized during discussions between Pakistan's Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and a UAE delegation led by Ms. Simisola Nicola Abere, the UAE's focal person for agri-collaboration. The partnership is set to be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan's Ministry of National Food Security and the UAE government, with immediate implementation planned post-signing.

Enhancing Pakistan's Date Industry

The primary objective of this collaboration is to enhance value addition within Pakistan's date industry, which is currently one of the world's top producers. Pakistan annually harvests over 500,000 tonnes of dates from more than 100,000 hectares, primarily across the Sindh and Balochistan provinces. The country's date exports currently exceed US$50 million, reaching markets such as the UAE, UK, Germany, Australia, and Türkiye.

Minister Hussain highlighted that while Pakistan possesses 'raw potential,' there is a critical need for innovation and investment to overcome existing challenges. These challenges include:

• Limited value addition
• Overdependence on a few export markets
• Significant post-harvest losses
• Gaps in packaging, branding, and cold-chain logistics
• Issues with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) compliance

The new processing plants, to be strategically located in the major date-producing regions of Sindh and Balochistan, will utilize advanced technology to clean, sort, package, and preserve dates according to international quality standards. This is expected to significantly increase the value of Pakistan's date exports, as processed dates command higher prices in international markets.

Strategic Impact and Future Outlook

The UAE, recognized as a global leader in date processing and marketing, will transfer valuable knowledge and technology to Pakistan through this partnership. Federal Secretary Ameer Muhyuddin will oversee the coordination efforts, reiterating the ministry's commitment to agricultural modernization. This initiative is anticipated to boost Pakistan's agricultural competitiveness globally, create new employment opportunities in rural areas, and improve farmer incomes.

Ms. Abere reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to expedite the operational phase of the project, underscoring the strong economic ties and mutual benefits envisioned from this collaboration. The partnership is seen as a milestone in promoting agricultural trade and investment between the two friendly countries.