The recent wave of floods that hit Sudan have not adversely affected Saudi agricultural investments in African nation, Husain Koya, economic counselor at the Sudanese Embassy in Riyadh told local media.
Koya, speaking to Al-Watan daily, said Saudi investments are concentrated around the Nile River and Kasala regions and are mostly focused on producing wheat as well as fodder products.
Saudi agricultural and industrial investments, which are estimated at $13 billion, are safe from floods, the Sudanese diplomat told Saudi investors.
Sudan is currently working out plans to facilitate investment procedures between the two countries and diversify economic cooperation to include business sectors such as agriculture, industry and real estate sector he was quoted as saying.
He said his country has amended the investment law issued in 2007 to preserve the interests of investors and, accordingly, increase the flow of Saudi investments into Sudan.
The amendments covered a series of procedural measures such as the creation of a one-window approach, limiting taxes to certain sectors and means of addressing the conflict between the regional and federal investment laws, whereby the latter was considered the reference after the amendments, he said.
Referring to recommendations recently issued in Khartoum on Arab food security and which are to be implemented by the end of the current year, the Sudanese diplomat reaffirmed his government’s stance to ensure food security for many Arab countries.
The various inputs for food security, which include land, water, appropriate climate, manpower, agricultural machines and scientific techniques are available in Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia respectively, he said.
The integration between the three countries will substantially contribute toward realizing food security in all Arab countries, he was quoted as saying.
Several years ago, Saudi Arabia’s Agriculture Minister Fahd Balghunaim encouraged Saudi private sector firms to develop agricultural projects in Sudan in light of a Sudanese government’s decision to ease investment procedures in the country.
Saudi Arabia aims to grow cereal and animal feed in Sudan, as these crops consume large quantities of water, he was quoted as saying.
Based on a UN Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) report, Saudi Arabia began to encourage food companies to invest in Africa and Asia in 2008 in order to reduce local grain production and conserve water. The Saudi government aims to cease cultivation of water- intensive crops, including wheat, by 2016, according to the FAO report.
Saudi’s agri investments in Sudan not affected by floods
