Which bodies are responsible for Halal certification in Saudi Arabia?

The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) is the country's authorized competent body for standardization, metrology and quality, responsible for issuing Saudi standards and developing conformity-assessment and certification procedures, and hosts the Saudi Accreditation Center (SAC, responsible for accrediting laboratories and certification bodies, and recently authorized to accredit Halal certification bodies). The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) oversees food, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics; importing meat and poultry requires a Halal slaughter certificate; and the Saudi Halal Center, operating under the SFDA, issues and recognizes Halal certificates.

What does Saudi Arabia mainly import, and from which countries?

Saudi Arabia's main imported product categories are food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, with imported food and animal products currently required to obtain Halal certificates and exporting facilities registered by the SFDA. The main beef exporters are Brazil, Australia, Pakistan and India; mutton mainly comes from Australia and New Zealand; dairy, honey and eggs mainly come from New Zealand, Denmark, the UAE and the Netherlands; and the pharmaceutical industry's leading exporters are Germany, the United States and France. Saudi Arabia has a population of about 34.2 million.

Overview of the Halal Market in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a population of 34.2 million. In addition to serving as chair of the SMIIC international board, the country participates in technical committees on Halal food (TC1), Halal cosmetics (TC2), service-premises matters (TC3), energy efficiency and renewable energy (TC4), tourism and related services (TC5), transport (TC7), leather and tanning materials (TC8), textiles and related products (TC9), Halal supply chain (TC10), Halal management systems (TC11), transport of dangerous goods (TC12), jewelry (TC13), petroleum and related products (TC14), and Halal pharmaceutical matters (TC16), as well as the Halal International Conformity Assessment Standards Committee (SMIIC/CCA).

Petroleum and petroleum products make up most of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's exports. The main categories of imported products are food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products; imported food and animal products are currently required to obtain Halal certificates. In addition, facilities in exporting countries are registered by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). Brazil, Australia, Pakistan and India are the main exporters of beef to the Kingdom, while Australia and New Zealand are the main exporters of mutton. For imports in the dairy, honey and egg sectors, New Zealand, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands are the main countries, with Turkey holding a 4.5% share worth USD 86.5 million. In the pharmaceutical industry, Germany, the United States and France top the list of exporting countries.

Halal certification activities

The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) is the country's authorized competent body for all matters related to standardization, metrology and quality. SASO performs executive and administrative tasks, including issuing Saudi standards and developing conformity-assessment and certification procedures for goods, products and services. SASO also hosts the Saudi Accreditation Center (SAC), which is responsible for the accreditation of laboratories and certification bodies. Under recent regulations, SAC has also been authorized to accredit and accept Halal certification bodies.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is the agency that oversees food, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics in the country. Importing meat and poultry into the country also requires a Halal slaughter certificate. As the national food import supervisory authority, the SFDA publishes the authorized exporting enterprises of each country on its official website.

The Saudi Halal Center, operating under the SFDA, issues and recognizes Halal certificates and provides information on the certification status of Halal certificates. Under recent regulations, an independent structure for this certification body has been envisaged, and the SFDA is responsible for the necessary research to fulfill this requirement. Information about companies that have obtained Halal certificates from the Saudi Halal Center is available on the internet.

FAQ

Which bodies are responsible for Halal certification in Saudi Arabia?: The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) is the country's authorized competent body for standardization, metrology and quality, responsible for issuing Saudi standards and developing conformity-assessment and certification procedures, and hosts the Saudi Accreditation Center (SAC, responsible for accrediting laboratories and certification bodies, and recently authorized to accredit Halal certification bodies). The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) oversees food, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics; importing meat and poultry requires a Halal slaughter certificate; and the Saudi Halal Center, operating under the SFDA, issues and recognizes Halal certificates.
What does Saudi Arabia mainly import, and from which countries?: Saudi Arabia's main imported product categories are food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, with imported food and animal products currently required to obtain Halal certificates and exporting facilities registered by the SFDA. The main beef exporters are Brazil, Australia, Pakistan and India; mutton mainly comes from Australia and New Zealand; dairy, honey and eggs mainly come from New Zealand, Denmark, the UAE and the Netherlands; and the pharmaceutical industry's leading exporters are Germany, the United States and France. Saudi Arabia has a population of about 34.2 million.

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