Saudi allows chicken imports from 11 Thai plants as trade takes off
Saudi Arabia has permitted imports of processed chicken from 11 Thai factories, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Tuesday.
Jurin was speaking to reporters after meeting with Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) chief Hisham Bin Saad Al-Jadhey on the last day of his three-day visit to Riyadh.
Jurin led a delegation of 130 Thai officials and businesspeople to the Middle East country to explore business opportunities.
Jurin said the 11 Thai plants would be able to export chicken parts to Saudi Arabia, not just whole chickens as initially reported. A list of another 28 chicken processing factories has been submitted for SFDA approval, he said.
Saudi Arabia was also willing to consider beef exports from Thailand, Jurin said. The Livestock Development Department would coordinate talks between Thai beef exporters and Saudi importers, he added.
Jurin also invited Saudi businessmen to invest in Thai livestock farming, citing their knowledge of demand and Halal certification in the Saudi market.
Jurin said Thailand’s halal-food development centre at Chulalongkorn University would collaborate with the SFDA on halal standards.
The commerce minister hailed the visit as a success that had opened channels to export many Thai products to the Middle East country. He also noted that Thai exports to Saudi Arabia had risen 26 per cent during the first seven months compared with the same period last year.
A decades-long freeze in relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand ended in January when PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was hosted on a state visit to the country.
