Tunisia's Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Maritime Fishing, Azeddine Ben Sheikh, concluded the Agricultural Partnership Forum on Friday, October 30, 2026, in the framework of the 16th edition of the International Agricultural Investment and Technology Fair "SIAT 2026". The forum was attended by Senegal's Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock, Cheikh Oumar Ba, and his accompanying delegation.
The forum also saw the participation of the Arab Investment and Agricultural Development Authority's president and the General Director of the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments, alongside several investors, businessmen, and representatives of national and international structures and institutions. Minister Ben Sheikh emphasized the importance of developing agricultural investment and enhancing economic partnerships.
He highlighted that these are fundamental pillars for supporting food security and achieving sustainable development, especially in light of increasing challenges related to climate change, water scarcity, and growing food needs. The Minister praised Senegal's participation, considering it a reflection of the depth of brotherly relations between the two countries and their shared desire to elevate economic and agricultural cooperation.
The cooperation areas include agricultural production, food industries, processing, valuation, and modern agricultural technologies. Ben Sheikh also noted the role of the Arab Investment and Agricultural Development Authority in supporting Arab investment in the agricultural sector, expressing his aspiration to develop joint investment projects that enhance Arab-African economic integration and contribute to supporting food security.
The forum included bilateral meetings between investors and economic actors, providing opportunities for direct communication, experience exchange, and identification of priority cooperation areas. These meetings also explored the possibility of crystallizing joint projects in agricultural production, food industries, valuation, and agricultural technologies. The Minister stressed the need to follow up on the outcomes of these meetings.
The Minister emphasized the importance of continued coordination between various concerned structures to transform proposed cooperation opportunities into actual partnerships and investment projects with tangible results. This, he said, would enhance the attractiveness of the agricultural sector for national and foreign investments. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments and the Arab Investment and Agricultural Development Authority.
The memorandum aims to strengthen cooperation in agricultural investment, intensify information and experience exchange, and introduce investment opportunities and projects in Tunisia and Arab countries. The cooperation areas include digital transformation, development of agricultural platforms, and exploration of suitable mechanisms for financing small and medium-sized agricultural projects. The participants also exchanged experiences and best practices in agricultural investment.
Key points
- Tunisia's Agriculture Minister calls for transforming cooperation opportunities into investment projects to support food security and sustainable development.
- The Agricultural Partnership Forum saw the participation of investors, businessmen, and representatives of national and international structures and institutions.
- A memorandum of understanding was signed to strengthen cooperation in agricultural investment between Tunisia and the Arab Investment and Agricultural Development Authority.
