Cattle importers in Saudi Arabia are protesting the recent livestock deal signed between the Sudanese government and Saudi Arabia’s billionaire Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The $300 million agreement makes the Prince the exclusive exporter of Sudanese livestock to the Arab World.
The Saudi importers argue that the newly created import monopoly is forcing them to seek alternative suppliers of meat in new markets such as Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Australia and Somalia.
Al-Waleed’s newly founded Gulf Company for Cattle will export live sheep, cattle and camel as well as packaged meats to Arab nations. The Prince has agreed to build a water purification station on the river in Khartoum as a ‘gift’ to the country, reported SPA.
Sudan earns an average $200 million from agricultural and animal products annually. The North African state exported $87.6 million worth of livestock between January and June 2002. Saudi Arabia is Sudan’s biggest trading partner and the country's greatest consumer of its livestock. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
