JEDDAH, 1 November 2005 — Saudi Arabia yesterday lifted a ban on meat imports from the United Arab Emirates but insisted that imports must be from factories approved by Saudi authorities, the Saudi Press Agency said.
“The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has lifted the ban on the import of beef and mutton products from the UAE and the import must be from factories visited by the Saudi technical team,” it said.
The ministry emphasized that meat exporters must comply with hygienic regulations and called upon importers to cooperate with the ministry. They were also asked to inform the ministry in case they come across any suspicious product.
The ministry lifted the ban imposed four years ago in the light of a report presented by the Saudi technical team, which visited the UAE, and after the World Health Organization confirmed that the UAE was free from foot-and-mouth disease.
Riyadh slapped a ban on UAE meat imports after it discovered that “fresh” meat being imported from the country was actually frozen meat originally from Brazil, Australia and India. The Emirates import sheep and cattle from Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, India and some African countries to meet domestic demand as well as for the export market.
