The Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), H.E. Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey, held a bilateral meeting today, Monday, with the Chairperson of the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ), Dr. YAMAMOTO Shigeki, in Tokyo, Japan. The meeting was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Japan, Dr. Ghazi bin Faisal bin Zaqr and officials from both sides.

The meeting focused on enhancing cooperative mechanisms between the SFDA and the FSCJ. Discussions included an overview of the FSCJ operational model, the global challenges facing the food sector, and best regulatory practices for food risk assessment. Participants also explored avenues for increased research and scientific collaboration between the two sides to improve regulatory systems and enhance food safety.

This meeting is part of the SFDA delegation's agenda during their visit to Japan, which includes participation in the annual meeting of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) from March 9-14 2025. The IMDRF meeting brings together regulatory bodies and international organizations involved in medical device regulation.

The SFDA's visit underscores its commitment to strengthening international cooperation and exchanging expertise with leading global regulatory bodies. These efforts aim to enhance the efficiency of regulatory systems and implement best practices to ensure the safety of food, medicine, and medical devices in the Kingdom. This aligns with the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Program, a key initiative of Saudi Vision 2030, which focuses on improving quality of life and supporting the health and medical technology sectors.