Ukrainian grain, Arab capital: a new axis of food stability

Olena Shyrokova

Ukraine has historically been considered the breadbasket of Europe, and today, despite all the challenges, its agro-industrial complex (AIC) remains one of the most powerful in the world.

Thanks to its unique natural and climatic conditions, fertile black soil, high expertise in agriculture, and strategic location, the Ukrainian agricultural sector is attracting growing attention from international partners — especially from the Middle East.

Ukrainian agro-industrial complex is a point of strategic attention of the world

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, agriculture generates over 10% of the country’s GDP and provides over 40% of foreign exchange earnings. Ukraine is traditionally among the top five global exporters of grain (wheat, corn, barley), and is also a leader in the production of sunflower oil – over 50% of world exports.

In light of global crises (climate change, disruption of logistics chains, war in Ukraine), Ukraine’s agricultural potential is gaining even greater importance. Guaranteed access to quality food is becoming a matter of national security for many countries, including the Gulf states.

Why is Ukraine interesting for the Middle East?

Countries in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are implementing ambitious national food security programs (e.g., the UAE Food Security Strategy 2051 and Saudi Vision 2030). With limited capacity to grow their own food, these countries are diversifying their sources of imports and seeking opportunities for vertical integration—from fields to shelves.

Ukraine in this context acts not only as a supplier, but also as a potential base for strategic agricultural projects. Already today, Saudi Arabia is the largest agricultural investor in Ukraine – through the state-owned company SALIC (Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company), which owns the Continental Farmers Group, which cultivates over 195 thousand hectares of land in western Ukraine.

Continental Farmers Group demonstrates an example of a long-term, responsible and effective business strategy in Ukrainian realities. Thanks to professional management, a transparent governance structure and a clear focus on sustainable development, the company not only supports production and exports, but also creates thousands of jobs in regions where it is especially critical. This is an example of how foreign investments can have a multiplier effect – strengthening the local economy, social stability and professional development of communities.

At the same time, it is important that the Ukrainian state creates favorable conditions for the activities of such companies: a stable regulatory environment, investor protection, support for logistics and security of operations. Foreign capital is interested in predictability, transparency and partnership – and the better such conditions are created, the more projects can be implemented in the agricultural sector.

What is needed to stimulate investment? Transparency, guarantees and trust

Ukraine’s agro-industrial complex has objective investment attractiveness: a high level of natural resources, developed infrastructure, professional human capital and access to global markets. However, to transform this potential into long-term strategic investments, systemic changes in the institutional environment are necessary.

Transparency as the basis of investment confidence

Foreign investors, especially from the Middle East, view the agricultural sector not as a speculative asset but as an infrastructure asset, one that requires deep engagement and long-term planning. In this context, transparency is a critical factor:

Transparency in access to land and lease rights, registers and cadastres;
Openness of licensing, certification, and export procedures;
Clarity of fiscal policy, including customs and tax regulations;
Absence of corrupt practices at the local level.

The introduction of modern digital platforms, single windows for investors, and automated registries is not just a technical upgrade, but tools for restoring trust and a signal to global capital.

Legal guarantees and protection of investor rights

Ukraine must take clear steps to strengthen legal guarantees for doing business, which will become the basis for attractiveness for strategic partners from the UAE, KSA, and other countries in the region. These include, in particular:

Reliable protection of property rights, including agricultural infrastructure, corporate rights and objects on land;
Arbitration mechanisms that allow disputes to be resolved impartially, preferably with the possibility of international commercial arbitration;
Protection from unforeseen regulatory changes that may put investments at risk during the implementation or operation phase;
The activities of independent judicial institutions, to which the investor has access on fair terms.

Ukraine already has framework instruments — for example, the law “On State Support for Investment Projects with Significant Investments” (Investnyanya), investment protection agreements with a number of countries, but it is important that these mechanisms are actually effective, not declarative.

Institutional stability as a criterion of reliability

No international company will implement strategic agricultural projects in a country where regulatory frameworks change without forecast, investment commitments are not fulfilled, and local decisions contradict state strategies. Therefore, it is critically important to build institutional stability based on:

A publicly approved national agricultural strategy, taking into account the interests of external partners;
Systemic dialogue between the state and business, including international investors;
Professional diplomacy that promotes the signing of intergovernmental agreements on investment protection, avoidance of double taxation, food certification, etc.

Investments from the Middle East are not only a source of capital, but also an indicator of trust in Ukrainian statehood. Therefore, transparency, legal protection, and institutional predictability are not just the wishes of investors, but a necessary condition for the transformation of the Ukrainian agricultural sector into a global player.

Strategic Partnership Potential: Ukraine and the Middle East

Cooperation between Ukraine and the Middle East in the agricultural sector goes far beyond traditional grain exports. It is a strategic partnership that can develop into a systemic model of sustainable production, food security, and technological exchange.

Why now?

The Middle East is critically dependent on food imports. For example, Saudi Arabia imports over 80% of all food consumed, the UAE about 85%. Due to demographic growth, water scarcity, climate constraints and strategic supply risks, countries in the region are looking for reliable sources of agricultural products with the possibility of partial control or integration into the value chain.
Ukraine is one of the few global producers capable of systematically meeting the needs of the region. Its agricultural ecosystem has the scale, geographical proximity (Black Sea → Suez Canal → Middle East), and the ability to establish both seasonal and long-term supplies within the framework of agreements for years to come.
Global risks — the war in Ukraine, geopolitical changes, climate threats — are forcing investors to look at the agricultural sector not just as a business, but as a strategic infrastructure of the future.

Strategic partnership formats

Creation of joint agrohubs in Ukraine – with control over logistics, storage, and certification, including halal products.
Direct investments in agricultural enterprises with access to land, technology, and production facilities. This investment format has already been implemented in the Continental Farmers Group case.
Investments in infrastructure – terminals, granaries, transshipment points, railway logistics.
Development of processing in Ukraine to export finished products with higher added value – flour, feed, oils, meat and other products.
Agro-innovation and agri-tech — Gulf countries are actively investing in artificial intelligence technologies, water conservation, and robotics in the agricultural sector. Ukrainian scientific and R&D centers can become a profitable platform for joint technology development.

Ukraine and the countries of the Middle East can create a new model of strategic food partnership, where Ukraine’s agricultural potential is combined with the financial capabilities, needs, and vision of the future from the UAE and KSA.

This is not only an opportunity for bilateral growth, but also an element of global stability — in the areas of food, logistics, and economic security. And now is the perfect time to move this partnership into a phase of active projects.

The agricultural sector is the economic backbone of Ukraine and a new vector of global influence

In the conditions of full-scale war, the Ukrainian agricultural sector became not only a sector of the economy – it became a symbol of the nation’s resilience, adaptability and strategic capability. Even under shelling, with destroyed logistics and blocked export routes, Ukraine continued to supply grain to countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, fulfilling its global food role.

This is not just about economics — it’s about responsibility and global leadership in food security.

The agricultural sector is the basis for the country’s economic restart

The Ukrainian agricultural sector generates more than 40% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
In 2023–2024, more than 75% of exports to the MENA region were agricultural products.
More than 3.5 million people in Ukraine are directly or indirectly involved in agriculture, the food industry, logistics, and agro-services.
Every successful agricultural investment means new jobs in the regions, taxes to local budgets, community support, and internal stability.

The agricultural sector is an entry point for geoeconomic partnership

In a world where food is becoming the new “oil,” Ukraine has a chance to become a key player at the intersection of global interests. For Middle Eastern countries, agricultural cooperation with Ukraine is not just an import, but an investment in national security, social stability, and strategic autonomy.

And for Ukraine, this is a chance to scale the agricultural system, modernize infrastructure, integrate into global value chains, and open new markets.

Ukraine has everything to transform its agricultural economy into a new growth model:

World-class land (chernozems occupy over 25% of the planet’s reserves);
Engineers, agronomists, entrepreneurs who work in extreme conditions with the highest level of efficiency;
Access to global markets via the Black Sea, Danube, rail corridors to Europe;
Partners ready to invest in development – from Saudi Arabia to the UAE, from the EU to the USA.

This is more than a sector. This is a national strategy.

The agro-industrial complex is not just a source of economic growth. It is the foundation of post-war reconstruction, a platform for international partnership, and a resource for shaping a new geo-economy of Ukraine, in which the Middle East is not just a market, but a true strategic ally.

If Ukraine correctly realizes its potential, it will not only recover. It will become one of the main architects of global food security in the 21st century.

Conclusion

The Ukrainian agricultural sector is not just an economic sector. It is a strategic platform for international partnership that can change the balance of food security in the world. At the same time, the countries of the Middle East are natural partners for whom food stability is a national priority.

It’s time to convert agricultural potential into real investments. And the best way to do this is to create clear, transparent, and safe conditions for international players. Ukraine is ready for this dialogue. And the world is ready to listen.

Olena Shyrokova: Co-Founder of the Ukrainian Arab Business Chamber I Chairwoman of OLENA I President of Ukrainian Business Council | Vice Chairwoman of ICC UAE Commission on Trade & Investment І Business Lawyer

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