The United States’ Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service, part of the Department of Agriculture, have announced that Saudi Arabia has lifted restrictions on American meat, making exports to the Kingdom easier and more extensive.

According to their official statement, Saudi Arabia has abolished a monitoring programme known as Export Verification (EV).

The programme was designed to ensure the quality, specifications and standards of meat intended for export to Saudi Arabia. It included inspections covering:

• The methods used in feeding and raising cattle, sheep and goats.
• The type of meat.
• The method of slaughter.

All such requirements have now been removed, allowing US companies to export meat to Saudi Arabia without undergoing these checks.

The changes also permit the export of pork and pork products to Saudi Arabia, provided that the recipient in the Kingdom is either:

• A US national working in the military or diplomatic corps, or
• A diplomat of any nationality, including Saudi nationals.