May 11, 2026
 

Saudi Arabia bans poultry and egg imports from India and 39 other countries over disease concerns

The kingdom's food safety authority expands import restrictions as part of ongoing measures to guard against avian influenza and other animal disease risks.

Saudi Arabia's Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a full ban on poultry and table egg imports from India and 39 other countries, alongside partial restrictions on specific regions within 16 additional nations, citing public health protection and food safety as the basis for the measures.

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

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

The SFDA said the restrictions were aimed at reducing risks linked to animal diseases, particularly highly pathogenic avian influenza, and that the list of affected countries would be updated periodically in line with global health developments. Some countries have been subject to import restrictions since 2004, with others added over the years following international disease reports.

The authority clarified that the measures do not apply to poultry products that have undergone adequate heat treatment and meet approved health and safety requirements.

- The Siasat Daily