Thailand eyes chicken exports after Prayut’s visit opens door to Saudi Arabia
Thailand is looking to export halal chicken to Saudi Arabia now that ties between the two kingdoms are starting to normalise, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Saturday.
He added that his ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion and Department of Foreign Trade have been discussing the issue with their Saudi Arabian counterparts for a while now.
“We will sell chicken – halal chicken – to Saudi Arabia. Progress has been made in talks and we are just waiting for an official normalisation of bilateral relations,” said Jurin, who also doubles as deputy prime minister.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the wealthy Middle East nation at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
The commerce minister added that apart from chicken, other Thai products also have the potential for export to Saudi Arabia, which he described as a wealthy market and a window to other states in the Middle East.
He likened Prayut’s recent visit to “opening the door” for the Commerce Ministry to work more comfortably with their Saudi counterparts.
Both sides have agreed to rebuild ties after they were soured over the “blue diamond affair” when a janitor stole a king’s ransom in jewels and rare gems in 1989. The deaths of three Saudi diplomats and the disappearance of a Saudi businessman in Thailand were also linked to the theft.
