Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s trade ministry said Saudi Arabia’s ban on poultry and egg imports from the country is unrelated to halal certification, attributing the move instead to health and quality compliance requirements.
Zulvri Yenni, Indonesia’s trade attaché in Riyadh, said the restriction reflects Saudi efforts to ensure products circulating in its domestic market meet health regulations and applicable standards.
“The import ban is not linked to halal issues, but rather to compliance with health requirements, regulations and quality standards,” Zulvri said in a statement released in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), imposed a total ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries and partial restrictions on 16 others. The measure affecting Indonesia is set out in SFDA Policy No. 6057, effective March 1, 2026.
Zulvri said Indonesia’s halal certificates have been recognized by Saudi Arabia since an October 19, 2023 memorandum of understanding between the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) and the SFDA.
He described the latest policy as an opportunity for Indonesia to restore its avian influenza-free status to regain access to the Saudi market.
Indonesia has yet to resume poultry and egg exports to Saudi Arabia because it has not secured bird flu–free status under the latest World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) report, updated Jan. 28, 2026.
Securing that status would positively affect prospects for reopening Saudi market access for Indonesian poultry and egg products, Zulvri said.
The SFDA said it will periodically review the import ban list based on global animal health developments reported by WOAH, particularly highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks.
Zulvri urged Indonesia to promptly update its bird flu–free status in WOAH reports to prevent export market share from shifting to competitors, including Thailand and Singapore, which are not subject to Saudi restrictions.
Indonesia is among 40 countries facing a total ban, alongside Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, Japan and the UK.
Partial bans apply to specific provinces and cities in 16 countries, including Australia, the US, Italy, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, Austria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Indonesian poultry and egg products may still enter Saudi Arabia if subjected to specified processing methods and supported by health certification.
According to the SFDA, heat-treated poultry meat or products processed sufficiently to eliminate Newcastle disease virus are exempt, provided they carry health certificates issued by competent authorities recognized by the Saudi regulator.
