. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/SAU/6 
8 November 2010 
 (10-5957) 
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:  67.04) 
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 Risk Assessment and 
Traceability of Genetically Modified Products  Language:  English and Arabic  Number 
of pages:  7 and 11 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/SAU/10_4211_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2010/sps/SAU/10_4211_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This Draft Technical Regulation concerns general requirements 
for risk assessment and traceability of GM food processed and unprocessed agricultural 
products, the risk assessment and traceability s hould be fully considered in the safety of 
each new component in a GM food and consider s both the expected effects of the genetic 
modification and the unexpected effects. 
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:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text) Guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of food 
produced using recombinant-DNA micro organisms.2003 CAC/GL.46 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None 
 G/SPS/N/SAU/6 
Page 2  
 
  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:   
• GM foods: safety assessment of genetically modified foods. 2005-Food standards 
Australia New Zealand 
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity   
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 ,Metrology 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 ,Metrology 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