. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/SAU/4 
8 November 2010 
 (10-5955) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  Saudi Food and Drug Authority 
2. Agency responsible:  Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) 
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):  Foodstuffs (ICS Code:  67.040) 
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:  General Requirements For Genetically Modified 
Unprocessed Agricultural Products  Language:  English and Arabic  Number of pages:  8 
and 11  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/SAU/10_4209_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2010/sps/SAU/10_4209_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This Draft Technical Regulation concerns general requirements 
for unprocessed agricultural products obtaine d through certain techniques of genetic 
modification and unprocessed agricultural pr oducts that contain or produced from 
genetically modified organism (GMO) if the GMO present is higher than 1 per cent. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] 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)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [ ] No  G/SPS/N/SAU/4 
Page 2  
 
   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:   
• Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the Europ ean Parliament and of the Council of 
September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed 
• Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003 of the Europ ean Parliament and of the Council of 
September 2003 concerning the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and the traceability of food and f eed products produced from genetically 
modified organisms and amending Directive 2001/18/EC 
• GM foods: safety assessment of genetically modified foos.2005-Food Standards 
Australia New Zealand 
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity 
• Regulate the entry of genetically modified organisms, 2005 - National Committee 
on Biosafety - King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  7 January 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:   
http://www.saso.org.sa
 
Saudi Standards, Metrolog y and Quality Organization 
P.O.BOX:  3437 Riyadh 11471  
Tel:  +(966 1) 452 0000  Ext : (1378-1381-1383) Fax:  +(966 1) 452 0193 E-mail:  enquirypoint@saso.org.sa  
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
http://www.saso.org.sa  
Saudi Standards, Metrolog y and Quality Organization 
P.O.BOX:  3437 Riyadh 11471  Tel:  +(966 1) 452 0000  Ext : (1378-1381-1383) Fax:  +(966 1) 452 0193 E-mail:  enquirypoint@saso.org.sa