Saudi Arabia bans poultry and egg imports from 40 countries to safeguard public health

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority has imposed a ban on the import of poultry and table eggs from 40 countries, alongside partial restrictions on specific regions in 16 other countries, as part of precautionary measures aimed at protecting public health and ensuring food safety in the domestic market.

The authority said the list of affected countries is subject to regular review in line with global health developments and epidemiological updates.

According to the latest revision, some of the bans have been in place since 2004, while others were introduced gradually over the years based on risk assessments and international reports on animal diseases, particularly outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The updated list includes a full ban on imports from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Djibouti, South Africa, China, Iraq, Ghana, Palestine, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, South Korea, North Korea, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Serbia, Slovenia, Côte d’Ivoire and Montenegro.

Partial restrictions apply to specific states or cities in Australia, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, Austria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The authority clarified that the temporary ban does not apply to heat-treated poultry meat and related products, provided they comply with approved health and safety standards.

Such products must be accompanied by official certification confirming that they have been processed in a way that eliminates avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses, and must originate from approved facilities in the exporting country.