Saudi Arabia and FAO: A comprehensive plan to monitor fish markets and combat fraud

In a strategic move aimed at strengthening the food security system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Makkah of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture fish markets and uncover methods of commercial manipulation. This initiative aims to ensure that safe, high-quality seafood products reach Saudi tables, in accordance with international standards.

Strategic Alliance for Food Safety

The workshop witnessed a unique partnership between the Ministry, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This tripartite collaboration aims to unify regulatory efforts and enhance the efficiency of inspection processes in public markets, reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to implementing international best practices in the food safety sector.

Vision context: Developing the fisheries sector

These moves are not isolated from the state's general direction, but rather directly contribute to achieving the goals of Vision 2030 and the National Program for the Development of the Livestock and Fisheries Sector. The Kingdom seeks to increase its aquaculture production and achieve self-sufficiency in many marine products. To achieve this, ensuring the quality of products offered in the markets is a fundamental pillar for gaining consumer confidence and supporting local products against imported or counterfeit goods.

Precise mechanisms for detecting commercial fraud

The discussions aimed to establish strict mechanisms to improve field monitoring of fish retail outlets. Experts addressed in detail the international standards for determining the freshness and quality of fish, according to the FAO methodology. This enables inspectors to accurately distinguish between safe products and those that do not meet health requirements or have been thawed and refrozen using unregulated methods.

Expected economic and health impact

These measures are expected to have a tangible positive impact on both the economic and health levels:

• Health-wise: Protecting consumers from diseases transmitted through spoiled food and ensuring high nutritional value.
• Economically: Promoting fair competition in the market by eliminating manipulators, which supports fishermen and investors committed to regulations, and encourages investment in the seafood sector, which is one of the tributaries of the non-oil economy.

The role of the General Authority for Food and Drug

The workshop highlighted the latest methods of manipulation and fraud that some may employ, and reviewed ways to detect and mitigate them. It also reviewed the regulations governing fish markets, with a focus on the role of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in monitoring supply chains to ensure compliance with Saudi and Gulf standards.

Exchange of experiences and training of personnel

Experts discussed market monitoring methodologies within the biosecurity program, in addition to reviewing the types of farmed fish in the Kingdom and the importance of accredited certificates that prove the origin and quality of the product (fish certificate). A select group of specialists and consultants from regulatory bodies and the Saudi Aquaculture Society participated in presenting the knowledge content, sharing expertise and updating the information of regulatory personnel.

Engineer Waleed Al-Daghis, Director General of the Ministry’s branch in the Makkah region, confirmed that this step comes within the framework of the continuous commitment to tightening control and providing food and agricultural products that are subject to the highest health and safety standards, noting that these efforts support the sustainability goals for food security in the Kingdom.