Saudi Arabia bans poultry, egg imports from 40 countries, including India; partial curbs on 16 nations

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a full ban on poultry and table egg imports from 40 countries, including India and introduced partial restrictions on specific regions in 16 others as part of precautionary measures to protect public health and ensure food safety in the domestic market.

According to Gulf News, the revised import list marks one of the most extensive updates in recent years. The changes, examined by Okaz newspaper, confirm that imports from 40 countries are now completely prohibited, while additional regional restrictions have been imposed amid ongoing global disease concerns.

The authority said the list of affected countries is subject to periodic review in line with global health developments and epidemiological updates. It noted that some bans have been in place since 2004, while others were introduced gradually based on updated risk assessments and international reports on animal diseases, particularly outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza.


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

Which countries have partial ban?

Partial restrictions cover specific provinces and cities in Australia, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, Austria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, rather than nationwide prohibitions.

The SFDA clarified that the temporary ban does not apply to poultry meat and related products that have undergone heat treatment or processing sufficient to eliminate bird flu or Newcastle disease virus, provided they fully comply with approved health requirements, are accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent authority in the exporting country, confirm adequate processing standards and originate from an approved facility.