Saudi Arabia bans poultry, egg imports from India, 39 other countries

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a full ban on the import of poultry and table eggs from India and 39 other countries, alongside partial restrictions on specific regions in 16 nations.

The move was part of precautionary measures aimed at protecting public health and ensuring food safety in the Kingdom.

The SFDA said the decision was aimed at reducing risks linked to animal diseases and ensuring the safety of food products entering the Kingdom. It added that the list of affected countries would be updated periodically in response to global health developments and epidemiological changes.

According to a recent review cited by Arabic daily Okaz, some countries have been under import restrictions since 2004, while others were included over the years following risky and international reports, particularly those linked to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The SFDA noted that this reflects its continuous monitoring of the global disease situation.

The full ban applies to 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 have also been imposed on certain provinces 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 SFDA clarified that the temporary measures do not apply to poultry products that have undergone adequate heat treatment and comply with approved health and safety requirements.