Sunday 24 Nov
A technical delegation from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) commenced a three-day visit to Egypt today, Sunday. The purpose of this visit is to inspect Egyptian food facilities and assess their eligibility for inclusion in the Saudi white list. This would pave the way for Egyptian food products to enter the Saudi market in the near future.
Dr. Tariq Al-Houbi, the head of the Food Safety Authority, said that the initial phase will involve inspections of 15 food facilities. This comes after a hiatus of more than two and a half years in these visits, with the last one taking place in March 2022.
Al-Houbi indicated that this is
the first of several planned technical visits by the Saudi authority to various
Egyptian facilities. The goal is to bolster the competitiveness of Egyptian
food exports and tap into the substantial Saudi market. He highlighted the
strength and professionalism of Egypt's food safety regulatory system, which is
based on scientific principles, risk assessment, and robust tracking systems.
He noted that the Egyptian Food Safety Authority has exerted efforts to communicate with the Saudi side through frequent visits, numerous discussions, and ongoing communication between the two parties. The aim is to expand export opportunities for a wide range of Egyptian food products, including fruits, vegetables, dairy products, honey, and potentially even pasteurized eggs and fish of European origin. This aligns with the authorities’ role to support and enhance the export capabilities of Egypt's food and agricultural industries.
