Saudi Arabia ends 17-year ban on Thai poultry meat, related products

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Srion said that he had received a report on Sunday that Sathana Kashemsanta na Ayudhya, chargé d'affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy in Riyadh, and Apichart Prasertsud, director of Thai Trade Centre in Jeddah, had met with Sami Saad Al Sager, vice president of the operations sector of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA).

They discussed the Saudi ban on import of poultry meat and products from Thailand.

Previously, Thailand had signed and sent a document on “Minutes of the Health and Technical Requirement for the Import of Poultry Meat and its Products” to the SFDA. Thai poultry meat and products had been banned since 2005.

Livestock Development Department chief Sorawit Thaneeto added that this is good news for Thai livestock exports at the beginning of 2022 following the restoration of diplomatic ties between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

After the discussions, the SFDA website (https://www.sfda.gov.sa/en/list_countries) changed the import status of Thai poultry meat and products from “Banned” to “Permitted”.

The website also named the 11 approved establishments for import of poultry meat and products from Thailand.