G/SPS/N/SAU/434  
 
15 September 2020  
(20-6181) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Livestock Risk Assessment Department, Ministry of Environment 
Water and Agriculture  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable ): Equine  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Thailand  
5. Title of the notified document:  Notice of Ministry of Environment Water and 
Agriculture, Decision No.41481/1291/1442 dated 7 September 2020 (19/1/1442 H) 
entitled "Temporary Ban on importation of Equine from Thailand" . Language(s): Arabic . 
Number of pages: 1 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/SAU/20_5470_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Following the OIE reports, ref. No. 14, Vol. 33 dated 
2 April 2020, which indicates that African horse sickness has occurred in Thailand. It is 
deemed necessary for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to prevent the entry of the Disease 
into the country. Therefore, the importation of Equine from Thailand to the Kingdom of 
Saudi Arabia is temporarily suspended.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  An outbreak of 
African horse sickness  was reported by official announcement of the World Organization 
for Animal Health (OIE) in Thailand urges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to institute this 
emergency measure to prevent the entry of the disease into the country.  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Animal Terrestrial health code, 
Chapter 12.1  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  G/SPS/N/SAU/434  
 
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  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:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
7 September 2020  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
Ministry of Environment   Water and Agriculture  
Livestock Risk Assessment Department  
Eastern Ring Road, Riyadh 11195  
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  
Tel: +(9661) 404 4292  
+(9661) 401 6666  
E-mail: anml.rsk@mewa.gov.sa   
Website: http://www.mewa.gov.sa/public/portal  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ministry of Environment   Water and Agriculture  
Livestock Risk Assessment Department  
Eastern Ring Road, Riyadh 11195  
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  
Tel: +(9661) 404 4292 
+(9661) 401 6666  
E-mail: anml.rsk@mewa.gov.sa   
Website: http://www.mewa.gov.sa/public/portal