Saudi Poultry Ban Hits Indonesia Over Health Standards, Not Halal Certification

Indonesia faces a health barrier to the Saudi market

Saudi Arabia has barred fresh poultry and table eggs from 40 countries, including Indonesia, under Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Policy No. 6057, which took effect on March 1, 2026. The restrictions also cover major agricultural producers such as India, China, Germany and Japan, while partial bans apply to designated regions in 16 other countries.

As of March 10, Indonesian officials are pursuing two responses: addressing the animal health requirements needed to restore access and encouraging exports of processed poultry that can qualify for exemptions. The central problem is Indonesia's avian influenza status, not whether its products meet Islamic dietary requirements.

Indonesian Trade Attaché in Riyadh Zulvri Yenni confirmed that the prohibition covers all fresh poultry products and eggs from Indonesia. The measure has halted Indonesian poultry exports covered by the restrictions and prompted diplomatic and regulatory responses from Jakarta.

The Saudi decision is part of a broad effort to protect food safety and prevent animal diseases from entering the kingdom. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, a severe form of bird flu, is a principal concern. The policy places Indonesia alongside countries with very different economies and agricultural systems, including the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Vietnam and South Korea.

Saudi authorities describe the restrictions as temporary and subject to review as animal health conditions change. Some prohibitions included in the wider framework date back to 2004, while others were introduced later as disease surveillance and outbreak information developed. The March policy therefore brings together restrictions with different histories.

Why halal recognition does not resolve the ban

Zulvri said the restriction concerns product quality assurance and compliance with health regulations. His clarification addresses a potentially sensitive misunderstanding in trade between Indonesia, the world's largest country with a Muslim majority, and Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites.

Zulvri, Indonesia's trade attaché in Riyadh, explained the basis of the prohibition:

This import ban is not related to halal issues, but rather to compliance with health requirements, regulations and quality standards.

Indonesia already has a halal recognition arrangement with Saudi Arabia. Since October 19, 2023, the SFDA has formally recognized Indonesian halal certificates following a memorandum of understanding between Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) and the Saudi regulator.

Halal certification addresses religious requirements. Animal health controls address risks such as the spread of poultry diseases. An exporter must satisfy the requirements relevant to both areas, so an existing halal agreement can remain in place while health restrictions prevent particular products from entering the market.

The current barrier operates through sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, the rules countries use to protect people, animals and plants from diseases and related hazards. For Indonesian poultry exporters, the immediate task is therefore veterinary compliance and product safety certification.

Which countries and regions are affected?

The total prohibition covers 40 countries and territories across Asia, Europe, Africa and other regions. Its geographic reach shows that Saudi Arabia is applying restrictions across developed and developing economies according to disease conditions.

The full list includes Indonesia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Djibouti, South Africa, China, Iraq, Ghana, Palestine, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, South Korea, North Korea, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Serbia, Slovenia, Ivory Coast and Montenegro.

Partial restrictions apply to specific areas in 16 additional countries: Australia, the United States, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Austria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The affected areas include New South Wales in Australia; Delaware, Kentucky and Minnesota in the United States; Emilia-Romagna and Veneto in Italy; British Columbia and Ontario in Canada; and Kelantan and Sabah in Malaysia.

Saudi Arabia's approach separates prohibitions covering an entire country from those limited to particular states or provinces. That allows the regulator to respond differently to disease conditions assessed across a country and outbreaks concentrated in specific locations.

The SFDA will review the restrictions periodically using international disease surveillance and changing epidemiological information. Countries that resolve the relevant health concerns could regain access, although no date has been given for lifting Indonesia's restrictions.

The animal health status behind Indonesia's exclusion

Indonesia has not secured avian influenza free status in the latest World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) report, updated on January 28, 2026. That status is central to the sanitary requirements affecting its access to Saudi Arabia.

WOAH, formerly known as the Office International des Epizootics (OIE), is the intergovernmental body that monitors avian influenza and other livestock diseases. It collects information from member countries on animal diseases, health conditions, antibiotic use, welfare standards and related food safety issues.

Importing countries use this information when deciding whether poultry products can enter their markets. Disease free status in WOAH reporting is an important benchmark for meeting the requirements of major buyers such as Saudi Arabia. Many countries restrict poultry imports from places lacking the required status to reduce the risk of introducing highly pathogenic viruses.

For Indonesia, restoring access involves animal health surveillance and reporting as well as the standards applied to individual export products. Zulvri has presented the Saudi measure as a reason to accelerate efforts to regain disease free status.

Why bird flu is driving tighter controls

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), particularly the H5N1 strain, has caused widespread outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry. Its spread has also affected dairy cattle across multiple continents, adding to the challenges faced by veterinary and public health authorities.

Since 2021, the virus has spread to more than 50 mammal species. That wider reach complicates containment efforts and has prompted stronger biosecurity measures around the world. Biosecurity means the practical steps used to keep disease from entering farms, moving between animals or spreading through trade.

Sporadic human infections have occurred, while sustained transmission between people has not been observed. Public health authorities continue to watch for changes in the virus that could increase broader pandemic risks.

Saudi Arabia's import controls seek to protect its domestic poultry population and consumers from potential contamination risks. Its policy relies on prevention, keeping affected products outside the market until the relevant health conditions are satisfied.

The dates behind the current restrictions show how halal recognition, disease reporting and import policy fit into the same trade relationship:

• 2004: Some prohibitions within Saudi Arabia's wider poultry restriction framework were already in place.
• October 19, 2023: Saudi recognition of Indonesian halal certificates began following the BPJPH and SFDA memorandum of understanding.
• January 28, 2026: The latest WOAH report was updated; Indonesia had not secured avian influenza free status.
• March 1, 2026: SFDA Policy No. 6057 took effect, covering total restrictions on 40 countries and partial restrictions on regions in 16 others.
• March 10, 2026: Indonesia's response centers on meeting health requirements and pursuing eligible processed poultry exports.

Jakarta turns toward processed poultry

Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman argues that processing offers a way to keep selling poultry products while raising their value. He said the Saudi restriction applies to fresh poultry, leaving an export route for processed products that satisfy the applicable requirements.

Amran, Indonesia's agriculture minister, illustrated his argument with the possible selling price of chicken before and after processing:

The restriction is for poultry, but not for processed products. So we process it, the value is actually higher. If I export chicken, let us say the price is Rp 30,000 per kilogram. If it is a finished product, how much more? It can be double.

His example compares raw chicken priced at Rp 30,000 per kilogram with a finished product that could sell for twice as much, or Rp 60,000. Prepared meals, processed cuts and preparations treated with heat are among the products associated with this move toward processing, subject to Saudi safety requirements.

The price comparison explains the minister's interest in selling more finished food rather than raw commodities. Processing adds work and production stages within Indonesia, allowing businesses to seek a higher selling price for what they export.

Amran's approach fits President Prabowo Subianto's broader downstreaming agenda, which seeks to turn raw commodities into finished goods, retain more value in Indonesia and strengthen national economic resilience.

Amran also maintained that the Saudi restriction would not disrupt domestic supply. He said local production could be redirected through processing for export and the domestic market, avoiding an imbalance between supply and demand at home.

What exporters need to qualify for exemptions

Saudi regulations provide exemptions for poultry meat and related products processed sufficiently to eliminate avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses. Heat treatment or another approved method must meet the regulator's requirements.

Eligible processed products must come from facilities approved by the SFDA. They must also carry official health certificates issued by the competent authorities in the exporting country.

Those certificates must explicitly confirm that the processing method eliminates the targeted viruses. Products must comply with approved health standards and technical specifications so that active pathogens do not threaten Saudi poultry or consumers.

Indonesia's proposed shift to processing therefore depends on more than changing the form in which chicken is sold. Producers need suitable equipment, approved facilities and a certification process that satisfies Saudi regulators.

The exemption offers a potential bridge while Indonesia works toward restoring full disease free status. Exporters could retain some presence in the Saudi market through qualifying processed products while the fresh poultry and egg prohibition remains in force.

Building that route requires investment in processing technology that meets international sanitation standards. Indonesian agricultural authorities and Saudi regulators must also coordinate facility approvals and the necessary certification arrangements.

Regional competitors could gain market share

Thailand and Singapore are absent from Saudi Arabia's current ban lists. Zulvri has warned that Indonesia risks losing market share to these ASEAN neighbors if it cannot resolve its animal health and certification gaps promptly.

Regional producers are expanding their presence in Middle Eastern markets traditionally served by Indonesian exporters. A prolonged restriction could allow competitors to capture volumes that Indonesia can no longer supply under the current rules.

Jakarta is pursuing two connected tasks: regaining the health status needed for wider access and developing the capacity to export eligible processed products. Progress requires coordination among the Trade Ministry, Agriculture Ministry and health authorities.

The competitive pressure adds urgency to disease surveillance, transparent reporting to international animal health bodies and rapid responses to outbreaks. Delays in addressing disease or updating sanitary status can prolong exclusion from valuable Middle Eastern markets.

India's response shows why exposure matters

India, another country covered by the total prohibition, illustrates how the same Saudi restriction can affect exporters differently. Indian poultry industry representatives have played down the likely disruption because Saudi Arabia accounts for a relatively small share of India's poultry exports.

India is the world's second largest egg producer, with annual output exceeding 142 billion eggs. Its poultry sector is valued at $30 billion and supports approximately 6 million people through direct or indirect employment.

Strong domestic demand absorbs most Indian production, according to the industry's assessment. That gives Indian producers a substantial home market while access to Saudi Arabia is restricted.

Indonesia's immediate concern includes competition from nearby ASEAN suppliers as well as the work required to meet Saudi health standards. Its response combines efforts to restore access for fresh products with a push toward processing, rather than relying on a single route back into the market.

The SFDA's periodic reviews will follow WOAH reporting and developments in global animal disease conditions. For Indonesia, the practical priorities are improving surveillance, resolving sanitary requirements and establishing approved processing and certification channels.

Quick Facts

• SFDA Policy No. 6057 took effect on March 1, 2026, restricting fresh poultry and table eggs from 40 countries, including Indonesia.
• Partial restrictions cover designated regions in 16 additional countries.
• Indonesian officials say the ban concerns health, regulations and quality standards, not halal certification.
• Saudi recognition of Indonesian halal certificates has been in place since October 19, 2023.
• Indonesia had not secured avian influenza free status in the WOAH report updated on January 28, 2026.
• Qualifying processed products can enter Saudi Arabia with approved treatment, facility approval and official health certification.
• Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman is encouraging processing while Indonesia seeks to restore broader market access.
• Thailand and Singapore are absent from the current ban lists, creating competitive pressure on Indonesian exporters.
• Saudi restrictions remain temporary and subject to periodic review; no date has been given for lifting Indonesia's ban.