RIYADH: Experts in the poultry industry gathered in the Saudi capital to share knowledge on ways to enhance business value in the sector. The Middle East Poultry Exhibition, an annual event in its third year, is running until May 15 and expected to attract thousands of visitors. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, the minister of environment, water and agriculture, opened the conference being held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center on Monday. The three-day event includes more than 100 experts in the poultry, fodder, and animal nutrition sectors, and about 300 companies from 40 countries around the world. The exhibition is being held under the slogan “Maximizing value and reducing costs: Value engineering in the poultry industry.” The conference seeks to enhance the use of modern technologies, through the showcasing of more than 800 supply chain products by the sector’s leading companies. The meeting offers opportunities for the exchange of experiences and practices in the sector and other related industries, and the review of investment opportunities to contribute to GDP, and in an effort to achieve the goals of the National Food Security Strategy, the Saudi Press Agency reported. “The total amount of support provided to the poultry sector through the agricultural subsidies program amounted to more than SR665 million”, according to the Al-Fadhli’s ministry, the expo said. The Kingdom aims to achieve a poultry meat self-sufficiency rate of 80 percent by 2025, according to the SPA. The sector is one of the fastest growing in the Kingdom, due to support through government facilities for poultry projects, and increased private sector investment.