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Country Content Sections/Tabs

Country Content Sections/Tabs

Policy Information

Policy Information

Government Agency(s) / Competent Authority

Authorized Government Agency(s):

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

Agency(s) Contact Information:

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Department of Organic Agriculture
Airport Road, Riyadh 11195
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Phone: 966 3 4016666
Fax: 966 3 4031415
Email:  kaorganic@moa.gov.sa
Website

Organic Regulations and/or Standards

Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:

February 2008 - Adopted Standardization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO)'s guide to organic food production, processing and marketing and labeling: GSO CAC/GL 32:2008 Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods (.pdf; in English)

February 2009 - Adopted the Saudi Commission for Standardization and Metrology (SASO) directory on the local level.

February 2009 - Adopted The Standards & Controls of Organic Farming Activity in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. Gulf Standards Organization (GSO) is responsible for developing food and non food standards in the GCC. Once a new standard is approved by the GSO food standards committee, each member country officially adopts the standard, thus making it a national standard as well as a GSO standard. 

GSO 2374:2014 Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods

February 2016: Organic Agriculture Law and Organic Agriculture By-Law (comments accepted until October 8, 2016)

Date of Implementation: 2011

Regulation and/or Standard Scope:

These standards promote the production, manufacture and trade of organic food and the formulation of definitions, rules and regulations related to organic activity. These standards also aim to protect people working in the areas of organic farming and consumers from fraud, and to support and provide the supply of organic products and their inputs leading to stronger organic agricultural sector in the Kingdom. The Orgnaic Law includes apiculture, aquaculture and seaweed.

Using the term organic in trademarks, brand names, pictorial matter or symbols relating to and placed on any packaging, document, notice, label, etc. accompanying or referring to a product which is non-organic or has not been certified is prohibited.

Imported Products

Beginning November 2012, requirements for import of organic fresh produce include: have a valid commercial import registration, providing a copy of the product's organic certification, and fulfilling other administrative requirements. See news report (website; in Arabic).

Among other requirements, imported products must be certified in the country of production, must be labelled with organic-production-data labels and logos, and the name of the certification body or registration number.

GCC Guide for Control on Imported Foods is useful for all food imports.

Certification and Accreditation

Certification:

Certification is required.

Accreditation Method:

Government

Accreditation:

Certifiers operating in the country must have a representative residing in Saudi Arabia, and must register with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

Additional Information

Reference Standards:

Reviewed and accepted in the IFOAM Family of Standards. Products certified according to any of the standards or regulations approved as part of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement's (IFOAM) Family of Standards will meet the requirements of Saudi Arabia's organic regulations, said its Ministry of Agriculture in a letter to IFOAM. The NOP and Canada Organic Regime, as well as 53 other government and private sector standards are on IFOAM's list.

Regulations were drafted in line with European Council Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007 on organic agriculture.

See Standards and Controls Activity of organic agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (in Arabic and English)

Additional Information:

Saudi Organic Farming Association, a civil association working under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture
Email: Info@sofa.org.sa
Phone: 4016666 ext 3538
Fax: 014066987
Mobile: 0508030720

USDA’S GAIN Report Saudi Arabia Retail Foods Online Food Retailing Begins (2018)
USDA’S GAIN Report Saudi Arabia Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional (2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report Saudi Arabia Retail Foods (2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report Saudi Arabia Food Processing Ingredients (2020)
USDA’S GAIN Report Saudi Arabia Exporter Guide (2020) 
USDA’S GAIN Report Saudi Arabia Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards - Narrative (2017)

Definitions

Definitions

Term

Definition

Health and Wellness

Health and wellness is the aggregation of organic packaged food and beverages, fortified/functional packaged food and beverages, naturally healthy packaged food and beverages, better for you packaged food and beverages and food intolerance products.

Organic packaged foods and beverages

This category includes packaged food & beverages that are certified organic by an approved certification body. Organic production is based on:

• A system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers.
• Organic food & beverages are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation.
• The use of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism) is prohibited. “Certified Organic” means the item has been grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent state or private organizations.
• Depending on the country, such products are called ‘organic’, ‘biological’ or ‘ecological’: For organic products to be included under Euromonitor definitions, the organic aspect needs to form part of positioning/marketing of the product. This is an aggregation of organic baby food, bakery, confectionery, dairy, ice cream, oils and fats, ready meals, rice, sauces, dressings and condiments, snack bars, soups, spreads, sweet and savory snacks and other organic food.

Note that fresh food products or individual ingredients are not included in this definition.

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is the average annual growth rate over a specified period of time. For instance, the CAGR consumption of from 2016 – 2019 will be the average growth rates across these three years.

USDA GATS data clarification

The data presented in table 2.4 represents the dollar values of the top 5 organic commodities as well as of the total organic exports of the trade partner for the period 2016-2019 as per the United States Department of Agriculture’s Global Agricultural Trade System, a database consisting of international agricultural, fish, forest and textile products trade statistics dating from the inception of the Harmonized coding system in 1989 to present.
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How to use this website

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) brings the US organic industry to developing markets around the world. This database is a comprehensive tool for OTA membership interested in participating in or expanding international trade in organic products by providing information to understand international markets for organic products. Select the country you wish to export to and find out whether it has an agreement with the United States, who its certifiers are, and much more.