Business representatives from Saudi Arabia have expressed strong interest in investing in Romania’s agriculture and livestock industries, including the development of halal-certified slaughterhouses. A delegation from the Saudi Business Council met with officials from Romania’s Ministry of Agriculture to explore joint projects and opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation.
According to the ministry, talks focused on areas such as food security, long-term agricultural investments, modern irrigation systems, and veterinary standards that could facilitate Romanian exports to the Saudi market.
Read also: Romania Plans New Environmental Tax for Packages from Non-EU Platforms
Halal certification remained a key theme, given its strategic importance for Middle Eastern consumer markets.
Romania’s Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, highlighted the country’s investment potential: “Romania has all the prerequisites to become the largest food processor in Southeast Europe. We are a trustworthy partner with significant agricultural capabilities,” he said.
Florin Barbu also emphasized the national plan to rehabilitate 2.7 million hectares of irrigation infrastructure—1.6 million hectares already completed—and the €2 billion allocated to new processing facilities.
Romania leads the EU in cereal exports and has a strong livestock sector, with nearly 13 million sheep, high-quality beef cattle breeds, and an avian sector operating at 170% self-sufficiency. In this context, halal-certified abattoirs would provide major export opportunities to Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.
The Saudi delegation was led by Mohammed Salah Mutabagani, president of the Saudi Business Council, and attended by Saudi ambassador to Bucharest Mohammed Abdulghani Khayat, Romanian ambassador to Riyadh Sebastian Mitrache, and senior officials of the Agriculture Ministry.
Photo: freepik.com
