On Wednesday, 13 November 2024, Ambassador Dato’ Azhar attended the Al Baraka Pakistan Olive Summit 2024 under the theme "Developing a Safe, Sustainable & Ready-to-Export Supply Chain of the Olive Sector” at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad.
Key attendees included Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (Chief Guest), Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, Chairman Prime Minister Youth Programme, Ambassadors from Oman and Jordan, the Deputy Head of Mission from Palestine, as well as national and international experts, policymakers, and industry leaders.
The Federal Minister highlighted the government’s focus on olive production to meet domestic demand and boost exports, emphasizing the need for research to enhance agricultural development.
Ambassador Dato’ Azhar in his speech thanked Al-Baraka Bank for organizing the summit and discussed Malaysia-Pakistan collaboration. He shared that Malaysia is a major producer of palm oil and the second-largest exporter to Pakistan after Indonesia. Dato’ Azhar suggested leveraging Malaysia’s expertise in the palm oil industry, developed through the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) to support Pakistan’s agricultural sector especially in olive farming.
