Saudi Arabia lifts remaining restrictions on Polish poultry and egg imports
Saudi Arabia has removed its remaining regional restrictions on poultry meat, eggs and derived products from Poland. The decision restores access for suppliers across the country after Poland regained its HPAI-free status for poultry.
Saudi market opens to suppliers across Poland
Saudi Arabia has lifted its remaining restrictions on imports of Polish poultry meat, eggs and products made from them, allowing eligible suppliers throughout Poland to serve the market. Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said the Saudi Food and Drug Authority decision removes the regional limitations that had continued to apply to the Łódź, Greater Poland and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships.
The change completes the reopening of Saudi Arabia to the covered Polish products. Producers and processors in the three previously restricted regions can now seek export business on the same geographic basis as companies elsewhere in Poland, although individual shipments and establishments must still meet the applicable Saudi import and certification requirements.
Polish Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski described the removal of the restrictions as an opportunity to expand the country’s food exports. He said Poland was continuing its efforts to open additional markets and eliminate trade barriers affecting sales to countries outside the European Union, according to statements carried by WNP.pl, Puls Biznesu and Farmer.pl.
Animal-health status supports the decision
The ministry identified Poland’s restored animal-health status as an important factor behind the Saudi decision. A declaration published by the World Organisation for Animal Health confirmed that Poland had regained its status as a country free from highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry.
HPAI outbreaks can lead importing countries to suspend purchases nationally or restrict goods from affected regions. Saudi Arabia’s latest action removes the outstanding regional limits rather than merely expanding the number of approved Polish areas. For poultry farmers, slaughterhouses, egg producers and processors, nationwide access reduces the commercial disadvantage faced by facilities located in the three named voivodeships.
The Saudi move follows a similar decision by the United Arab Emirates. Poland’s agriculture ministry said the UAE had restored the possibility of exporting poultry meat, poultry products and table eggs from the whole territory of Poland. The two decisions give Polish suppliers broader access to major Gulf markets, though the source material does not provide projected poultry or egg shipment volumes.
Existing food trade provides a commercial base
Saudi Arabia is already Poland’s third-largest market for agri-food products in the Middle East, according to the agriculture ministry. Polish agri-food exports to the kingdom were worth nearly €245 million in 2025. The leading categories were sugar syrups; cheese; bakery products, biscuits, waffles and wafers; sugar confectionery without cocoa; and unsweetened milk and cream powder.
From January through July 2026, Poland exported more than €143 million of agri-food goods to Saudi Arabia. Those figures show an established distribution and customer base, but they do not indicate the current value of poultry and egg sales specifically. The opportunity created by the reopening will therefore depend on Saudi demand, price competitiveness, veterinary compliance and the ability of Polish companies to secure buyers and logistics.
The immediate impact is the removal of a market-access barrier, not a guaranteed increase in trade. Exporters from Łódź, Greater Poland and Warmian-Masurian can again compete for Saudi orders, while importers gain access to a wider pool of Polish plants and suppliers. Future shipment data will show how much of that regulatory opening translates into poultry meat, egg and processed-product sales.
