Saudi Arabia Bans Poultry & Egg Imports From 40 Countries — Is India on the List?

Saudi Arabia just banned poultry and egg imports from 40 countries — and India is on the list. Millions in exports are now frozen overnight. But there’s one surprising exemption that could save Indian exporters. Do you know which products are still allowed in? The answer will shock you.

In a sweeping move that has sent ripples across global agricultural trade, Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a total ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries — and yes, India is squarely on that list. For Indian poultry exporters, traders, and even everyday consumers tracking food inflation, this development carries significant weight.

As someone with 15 years of banking experience covering agricultural credit, trade finance, and commodity markets, I’ve seen how a single regulatory decision from a Gulf nation can reshape supply chains, affect commodity prices, and reverberate through rural economies in India. Let me break this down for you — clearly, factually, and completely.

What Exactly Did Saudi Arabia Announce?

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has enforced a complete ban on the import of poultry meat and table eggs from 40 countries, alongside partial restrictions on specific provinces and cities in 16 additional countries.

This isn’t a sudden overnight decision. According to the SFDA’s official update, some of these bans have been in place since as early as 2004, with additional countries added progressively over the years based on evolving disease risk assessments and international epidemiological reports. The latest revision, reviewed by Saudi newspaper Okaz, officially confirms the expanded list.

The primary driver? Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) — more commonly known as Bird Flu — which has been spreading aggressively across wild birds, domestic poultry, and recently, dairy cattle in multiple countries worldwide. The H5N1 strain, which has been circulating since 2021, has now been detected in more than 50 mammal species globally, raising biosecurity alarm bells across importing nations.

Is India on the Banned List? Yes — Here’s What It Means

India is among the 40 countries facing the total ban. This means no raw poultry meat or table eggs from India can enter Saudi Arabia under the current restrictions — a significant blow for Indian poultry exporters who have long viewed the Gulf region as a lucrative export destination.

Other major countries on the full ban list include China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, among others. The list spans Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, reflecting the truly global reach of the avian influenza outbreak.

The Complete List: All 40 Countries Under Total Ban

Here is the full list of countries facing a complete ban on poultry and egg exports to Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by the SFDA’s latest update:

For India, this matters for several reasons:

Export Revenue Impact: India is one of Asia’s largest poultry producers, with an industry valued at over ₹1.5 lakh crore. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia, have historically been important markets for processed poultry products. A total ban on raw poultry disrupts that trade pipeline significantly.

Employment in the Poultry Belt: States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Punjab have dense poultry farming communities whose livelihoods are partially tied to export demand. Any sustained ban tightens margins for farmers at the bottom of the value chain.

Domestic Price Dynamics: Interestingly, a prolonged ban could lead to a domestic oversupply of poultry and eggs in the short term, potentially softening retail prices for Indian consumers — though this depends heavily on how long the restrictions remain in place.

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Which 16 Countries Face Partial Restrictions?

In addition to the 40 countries under full ban, the SFDA has imposed region-specific partial restrictions on 16 other countries. These include:

Australia, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, Austria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For these nations, the restrictions apply only to certain provinces or cities — not to nationwide imports — reflecting a more surgical, data-driven approach based on where active disease outbreaks are concentrated.

Are There Any Exceptions? What About Processed Products?

This is an important nuance that many reports gloss over. The SFDA has specifically exempted heat-treated and processed poultry products from the ban — provided they meet strict conditions:

• The product must have undergone heat treatment or processing sufficient to eliminate both the Avian Influenza virus and the Newcastle Disease virus
• It must fully comply with Saudi Arabia's approved health standards and specifications
• It must be accompanied by an official health certificate issued by the competent authority in the country of origin, confirming adequate processing
• It must originate from an SFDA-approved facility

This exemption is critical for Indian exporters. Companies that produce cooked, heat-treated chicken products — such as processed chicken nuggets, canned poultry, or cooked meat — may still be eligible to export to Saudi Arabia if they meet these stringent documentation and processing requirements.

The message is clear: Saudi Arabia is not shutting its doors to poultry permanently. It is raising the bar for safety, compliance, and traceability.

Why Is Bird Flu Driving Such Aggressive Trade Policy?

To understand the Saudi decision, you need to appreciate the scale of the current global HPAI crisis. The H5N1 avian influenza strain that began spreading through wild bird populations in 2021 has since evolved into one of the most far-reaching animal disease outbreaks in recorded history.

Key facts you should know:

• H5N1 has now been detected in over 50 mammal species, including dairy cattle in the United States — a development that alarmed public health experts globally
• Sporadic human infections have been reported in several countries, though no sustained human-to-human transmission has been confirmed
• The scale of poultry culling globally to contain outbreaks has disrupted egg supply chains from Europe to the Americas, contributing to sharp price increases in multiple markets
• Public health authorities continue to monitor whether the virus may adapt to spread more easily among humans, though current risk assessments classify the overall human risk as low

Saudi Arabia, as one of the world's major food importers and a country with strong public health governance, is applying the precautionary principle — acting decisively before a threat materializes rather than after.

Saudi Arabia's Food Import Power: Why This Decision Matters Globally

Saudi Arabia is not a minor player in global food trade. As a country that imports a significant portion of its food requirements, its regulatory decisions carry outsized weight. When Riyadh moves, exporters worldwide take notice.

The SFDA has explicitly stated that the banned countries list is subject to periodic review as global health conditions evolve. This means the ban on India — or any other country — is not necessarily permanent. Countries that demonstrate effective disease surveillance, transparent reporting, and compliance with international food safety standards stand a stronger chance of having restrictions lifted.

For India, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. If Indian poultry authorities — the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Ministry and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) — engage proactively with the SFDA and demonstrate robust biosecurity standards, there is a path back to access.

What Should Indian Exporters and Farmers Watch For?

If you are an Indian poultry exporter, agri-finance professional, or rural economy stakeholder, here are the key developments to monitor:

Government Response: Will India's Ministry of Animal Husbandry formally engage with the SFDA to present its disease surveillance data and seek expedited review? This diplomatic-regulatory engagement will be decisive.

APEDA's Export Strategy: Watch for any revised export guidelines or advisories from APEDA targeting heat-processed poultry as a workaround to the raw product ban.

Domestic Price Impact: Track weekly egg and broiler prices in major markets like Namakkal (Tamil Nadu), Pune, and Hyderabad. A demand shock from lost exports could soften domestic prices in the near term.

SFDA List Updates: The SFDA updates its restricted countries list periodically. Exporters should check the SFDA's official website regularly for any changes to India's status on the ban list.

The Bottom Line

Saudi Arabia's total ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries — India included — is a serious but not unprecedented move rooted in legitimate public health concerns around avian influenza. It is not a geopolitical action, nor is it permanent by design. It is a biosecurity measure by a country that takes food safety seriously.

For India, the immediate impact is felt by exporters and the broader poultry value chain. The medium-term outlook depends on how effectively Indian authorities, exporters, and industry bodies respond — diplomatically, scientifically, and commercially.

One silver lining: the exemption for heat-treated products means the door to the Saudi market is not fully closed. Indian processors who can meet the SFDA's stringent standards have an avenue forward.

As always in global commodity trade, the countries that respond fastest with the strongest compliance credentials will recover market access first. The question is whether India's poultry industry will use this disruption as a catalyst to upgrade its export infrastructure and food safety standards for the long run.