. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/SAU/7 
16 December 2010 
 (10-6760) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Animal and plant Quarantine Department, Ministry of Agriculture 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Potato seeds ( Solanum tuberosum ) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Suspension of the Ministerial Decision No. 246999 dated 
20/8/1431 H (1 August 2010) and adoption of the former Decree No. 49943 date 9/7/1415 
H (12 December 1994)  Language:  Arabic  Number of pages:  7 
 http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2010/sps/SAU/10_4566_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Following the Plant Quarantine regulations, new phytosanitary 
requirements are adopted for potato seeds imported to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which are explained in the Ministerial Decision No. 246999 date 20/8/1431 H (1 August 2010). The implementation of this decree is suspende d for further discussion and amendment.  The 
phytosanitary requirements for potato seeds imported to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
should comply with the requirements stated in the Ministerial Decree No. 49943 dated 
9/7/1415 H (12 December 1994) with the exception of Article 10 of the decree No. 49943 where the limit of soil contamination accepted ch anged to 1 per cent instead of 0.5 per cent. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  ISPM N° 19 & 
11 G/SPS/N/SAU/7 
Page 2  
 
  [ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  A Circular to 
all general departments of Agricultural Affairs,  and directorates responsible for animal and 
plant quarantine departments, and to all br anches of animal and plant quarantine.  
No. 338855 dated 25/11/1431 H  (2 November 2010) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :    
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :    
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  25/11/1431 H, 2 November 2010 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  14 February 2011 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and plant Quarantine Department 
Animal and plant Quarantine Depart ment, Ministry of Agriculture 
Airport Road, Riyadh 11195 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
Tel:  +(966 1) 4044292, +(966 1) 4016666 Ext. 3074 Fax:  +(966 1) 4011323 E-mail:  alfadhls@hotmail.com Website:  http://www.moa.gov.sa/public/portal
  
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and plant Quarantine Department 
Animal and plant Quarantine Depart ment, Ministry of Agriculture 
Airport Road, Riyadh 11195 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel:  +(966 1) 4044292, +(966 1) 4016666 Ext. 3074 Fax:  +(966 1) 4011323 
E-mail:  alfadhls@hotmail.com 
Website:  http://www.moa.gov.sa/public/portal