Saudi Arabia has implemented a complete prohibition on the entry of poultry and table eggs from Bangladesh and 39 other nations to uphold public health and ensure food safety in its local market, as stated by Gulf News. The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has also enforced partial restrictions on certain regions in 16 additional countries. The affected countries list is subject to regular review to align with global health trends and epidemiological updates.
The latest update reveals that some bans have been in effect since 2004, while others were gradually introduced over the years following risk evaluations and international reports related to animal diseases, particularly highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks. Alongside Bangladesh, the revised list includes a full import ban from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, 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.
Partial restrictions are in place for specific states or 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. The authority specified that the temporary ban excludes heat-treated poultry meat and related products if they meet approved health and safety standards. These products must come with official certification affirming that they have undergone processing to eliminate avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses, and must originate from recognized facilities in the exporting country.