Saudi Arabia lifts South African red meat ban after 20 years

After months of negotiations, the Saudi Food and Drug Administration opened the doors for export of red meat from South Africa

- Jyothi Laldas

A 20-year long ban prohibiting the export of South African red meat to Saudi Arabia has been lifted, with the country set to begin importing beef, lamb, mutton and goat in the coming weeks.

The Saudi Arabian Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) lifted the ban on the country’s meat imports, which was originally instituted due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in South Africa, according to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD).

The lifting of the ban has been a few months in the making with talks initially surfacing in August 2023.

The department said only facilities with halaal compliance in South Africa would be certified and audited for export to Saudi Arabia.

At this time, seven out of the been certified, with efforts under way to address any deficiencies in the remaining eight facilities, the department said.

According to the department, South Africa began shipments of halaal products to Saudi Arabia in February, following a visit by a business delegation to this country and discussions on the resumption of meat exports that the kingdom facilitated by the department.

Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) chief executive Dewald Olivier said the development was groundbreaking for the South African red meat industry.

“The RMIS, working hand-inhand with the DALRRD and the Red Meat Abattoir Association [RMAA], has successfully secured the official confirmation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia opening its doors to the export of South African red meat,” said Olivier.

“This achievement, a result of more than a year of strategic engagement between the role players, is poised to reshape the landscape of South African red meat exports.