Arab investment, agricultural development authority meets in Cairo

Companies affiliated to the Arab authority for investment and agricultural development opened in Cairo on Saturday a meeting to discuss ways of activating inter-Arab agricultural integration.

Authority's chairman Abdulkarim Mohammad Al-Amri said the four-day meeting aimed at activating a trade mechanism in the agricultural and industrial domains. He said the meeting was a great chance to exchange expertise and experiences among authority's member companies.

Participants from 16 Arab states will discuss the authority's future investment and agricultural development plans and debate influence of international changes on Arab agricultural development and the use of technology in agricultural projects.

Al-amri said the authority, whose capital estimated at $ 450 million, sought food security in the Arab region via developing agricultural resources.

In 1998, Arab states imported $ 22.44 billion worth of food and exported $ 4.5 billion-worth of food products, he said.