Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) participated in the 11th regular meeting of the Executive Committee of the Heads of the International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF), in the presence of H.E. CEO of SFDA, Dr. Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey, the CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), and the CEO of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

During the meeting, the participants discussed and agreed to hold the 4th annual meeting of the forum in May 2023 and to be hosted by Ireland represented by the FSAI, in addition to the adoption of the necessary conditions for joining the international forum. They also agreed to approve the membership of Scotland, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, and the Netherlands to the forum.

IHFAF, which is held annually at the level of heads of food control authorities, aims to share strategic directions and discuss food issues with global repercussions, in addition to identifying potential areas for cooperation to ensure food safety.

It is noteworthy that the SFDA contributed to the establishment of this forum and hosted the first annual meeting that witnessed the announcement of the forum in 2020, and the second annual meeting in 2021 under the theme ‘’modernization of food system’’. SFDA also hosted the emergency meeting in 2020 to discuss the latest developments in the field of food availability and safety in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).