The Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) hosts "the extra-ordinary meeting for the heads of the food regulatory agencies" on the fringe of the Kingdom's presidency of the G20.

The meeting aims to develop a sustainable environment for global cooperation in the field of food legislation to ensure food safety in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

It will discuss the challenges that countries face in addressing coronavirus and identifying contributing factors that have supported efforts to mitigate the risks of the pandemic, in addition to come up with recommendations that would enhance the control of food products, its implications for human health, and its impact on food production.

The meeting will be conducted through Telepresence, which is an opportunity to exchange strategic plans for each regulator, including discussing issues with global implications.

The meeting will be attended by officials of food safety agencies from around the world such as Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Japan's food safety administration, Singapore Food Agency, Morocco's National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), Kuwait's Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN), Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),the World Health Organization (WHO) and other International food safety authorities.

The SFDA has invited countries (regional and international organizations) to create solutions for issues related to the Coronavirus pandemic through global cooperation and sharing experiences between regulatory agencies.