US agribusiness giant Cargill has formed a joint venture with Saudia Arabian food producer Arasco for the creation of starches and sweeteners in the country.

The joint venture company will acquire Arasco’s existing corn milling facility in Al Kharj and will produce starch based products primarily for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, as well as Yemen, Iraq and Jordan.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The deal marks Cargill’s first move into the Kingdom and will build on its global capabilities in food ingredients and Arasco’s existing knowledge and supply chain infrastructure in the country, Cargill said.

Cargill will hold a 20% stake in the joint venture, with Arasco taking the remaining share and management control.

The deal is the second for Cargill this month. Last week the company announced it had secured a deal to acquire two animal feed mills from the bankrupt Pennfield Corporation in the US for US$9.8m.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact