The SFDA declared that it has started an ambitious program to develop the system of controlling imported food, including checkpoints in different customs and laboratories of monitoring food in land, sea and air borders in the Kingdom; in order to reach the highest levels of international performance.
His Excellency Dr. Mohamad bin Ahmad Alkanhal, Executive President of the SFDA, confirmed after signing a cooperation agreement with a German governmental establishment that this developmental program reflects the generous concern and support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Royal Highness Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Vice President of Ministers Council, Minister of Defense and Aviation, General Inspector and Chairman of the SFDA Board of Directors (may Allah protect them) as they assign seven hundred and fifty million Riyals to develop this program within three years. He insured too that the agreement includes developing means and procedures of inspecting food packages, withdrawing and analyzing samples, laboratories electronic data processing and linking all labs in customs borders with each other and the SFDA by a local internet web.
Dr. Alkanhal stated that the contract which was signed with a representative of the German establishment for technical cooperation (GTZ), Dr. Ferner Bever is a large project executed by the SFDA to administrate and develop monitoring of imported food.
The contract aims to make use of the German experience and technology specifically and the international experience in general in order to develop inspecting processes and laboratories in borders. The project requires three months as a primary stage in which an executive detailed developing plan is set to evaluate the current status, determine needs and set a periodical plan of development.

After the approval of this plan, the actual improvement of monitoring imported food system is started by developing all procedures of admitting food in customs beside developing laboratories completely; including maintaining current locations, establishing new laboratories according to needs, updating devices and tools, revising the work plan inside laboratories and re-framing it to insure goods arrival through these borders, and training employees of laboratories in the highest international labs. At the end of his speech, Dr, Alkanhal thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and hid Crown Prince for their infinite support to the SFDA; he also thanked Their Royal Highnesses, their Excellencies the members of Board of Directors of the SFDA.
Dr. Ibraheem bin Saad Almuhaize, Vice Executive President of Food Affairs, stated that this agreement will have a great impact on monitoring imported food thoroughly, ensuring its quality and conformity to regulations and Saudi standards since the contract seeks developing monitoring processes of food imported by borders through arranging labs to perform all chemical, microbiological and physical tests to insure food safety according to world standards and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
He added too that the SFDA by dealing with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will be responsible of all labs and customs checkpoints of food starting from 1-6-1430H, so it will bare all duties of controlling imported food according to the approved resolution. In addition, he explained that Food Sector of the SFDA is being prepared for this huge alteration practically from time ago.