Saudi Arabia Bans Imports of Indonesian Poultry and Eggs, Ministry of Trade: Not because of Halal Issues

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) through the Trade Attaché (Atdag) of the Republic of Indonesia in Riyadh ensures that the ban on the import of poultry and eggs from Indonesia issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not related to the halal issue.

For information, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a total ban on the import of poultry and eggs from 40 countries and partially from 16 countries. The latest ban on Indonesia is contained in SFDA Policy Number 6057 and will take effect on March 1, 2026.

The Indonesian Trade Attaché (Atdag) in Riyadh, Zulvri Yenni, ensured that the policy was not related to halal issues, but concerned health standards and product quality.

"This import ban is not related to the halal issue, but more to the issue of meeting quality standards to meet health requirements, regulations, and applicable standards," Zulvri said in an official statement, Tuesday, March 3.

Zulvri emphasized that the Indonesian halal certificate has been accepted by Saudi Arabia since the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) and SFDA on October 19, 2023.

According to Zulvri, this policy needs to be seen as an opportunity for Indonesia to renew its bird flu virus-free status. Until now, Indonesia has not realized the re-export of poultry and eggs to Saudi Arabia because it has not obtained a bird flu-free status based on the latest report of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as of January 28, 2026.

"The realization of the status of freedom from avian flu will have a positive impact on the opening of access to the Saudi Arabian market for Indonesian poultry and egg products," he said.

Zulvri added that SFDA will continue to periodically review the import prohibition list in line with the development of the global animal health situation based on the WOAH report, especially regarding the highly pathogenic bird flu outbreak. This step is a form of Saudi Arabia's commitment to monitoring global epidemiological dynamics.

"This new Saudi Arabian policy is an opportunity for Indonesia to update the status of freedom from avian influenza virus as soon as possible in the WOAH Report. This is important so that our export share is not taken by competing countries, especially from ASEAN such as Thailand and Singapore, which are not on the Saudi Arabia ban list," said Zulvri.

For information, Indonesia is included in the total ban list along with 39 other countries, including Germany, Iran, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, and Egypt.

Meanwhile, partial bans have been imposed on several provinces or cities in 16 countries, including Australia, the United States, France, Canada, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

However, there is still an export opportunity through certain processing schemes. SFDA explained that poultry meat and related products that have undergone heat treatment or other processing methods that effectively eliminate the Newcastle virus can be exempted from the ban, as long as they meet the applicable health requirements and standards.

The process must be proven by a health certificate issued by an authorized official authority in the country of origin and recognized by the SFDA. The certificate states that the processing steps taken have been sufficient to eliminate the Newcastle virus.

WOAH is a world animal health organization previously known as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). WOAH reports are a reference for many countries in determining policies related to the import of animals and animal products, including prohibition measures to maintain food safety and the health of domestic animals.