As demand for chicken rises with Qatar’s ever-expanding population, the nation has been looking to diversify its poultry product imports. According to the Qatar Tribune, the Gulf state has most recently entered talks with Portugal about filling this need.

A Qatar Chamber board member told the newspaper about the potential deal, which was being discussed with a delegation of Portuguese officials in Doha this week.

Ali Abdul Latif al Missned was quoted as saying:

“We want Portugal to become our main supplier of chicken and other meat products for its quality and Islamic slaughtering practices.”

For its part, Portugal is interested in trading with Qatar in the areas of food, construction, building materials, and timber, Arab-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Aida Bouabdellah told the newspaper.

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Though Qatar grows some chicken locally, it imports the vast majority of its poultry products. About 72 percent is frozen poultry from Brazil, and 6 percent is fresh from Saudi Arabia, according to QatarVironment.org.

In the past few years, officials have also looked to Bulgaria for halal fresh chicken, following unreliable supply from Saudi.

But Qatar is also working to reduce its dependency on other nations for poultry. Last year, the Qatar Meat and Livestock Co. announced plans to build a $124 million poultry plant here.

An official for Widam (formerly known as Mawashi), however, said at the time that government approvals for licensing were holding up its development.

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