Saudi Arabia - the land of amazing hospitality, generosity and opulence. KSA also happens to be the land of traditions juxtaposed with top-of-the-class modernisation.
Tradition: Black Tea, Karak & Arabic coffee continues to be present in homes, offices and restaurants.
Modernisation: Massive uber-cool tea & coffee shops everywhere you go.
While KSA imports Coffee mainly from Africa and South America, it mainly imports its teas from India, Sri Lanka and UAE.
The Culture
Anything strong and full of flavour. You will usually spot people having black tea, earl grey, lemon tea or Karak. While green and herbal tea culture is not omnipresent, it is slowly catching up.
So what should you be importing?
- Strong black teas from Assam, India
- Aromatic green teas from Nilgiri and Darjeeling
- Herbal and spiced teas (herbs from Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh; Spices from Kerala)
This is where we at Mittal Teas could step in. We are a one-stop shop for all types and grades of Indian teas.
While we continue to compete with our dear neighbour - Sri Lanka, it is safe to say that ceylon teas are already present at every nook and corner and Indian teas are still rare. It will be unfair to say that Indian teas are better, but I can say for sure that it is different and on par. You see, the climate, soil, rainfall and several other factors make each tea-growing region unique. So if you want to being something new yet familiar, Indian teas could be a great add on!
Compliances
Saudi Requirements
All Food Products under the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) shall meet the following requirements of Saudi Food Law, Standards and Regulations including:
Registration with Saudi Authorities
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Importers must have an account with the SFDA and the Food Product must be registered. This also applies to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and their Importers.
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Importers must have a valid Commercial Registration Certificate which includes Food Trade as a registered commercial activity.
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Exporters must be registered with SFDA under Registration of Foreign Establishment
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Exporters of Fresh Fruits and Fresh Vegetables are currently not mandated to be Registered with the Saudi Food and Drugs Authority (SFDA).
Laws, Regulations and Standards
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The Food Product must meet the Standards and other Requirements as stipulated by the SFDA
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Expiration Dates of Food Products shall
be in line with the SFDA.FD standards (SFDA.FD 150-1, SFDA.FD/GSO 150-2)
specified for certain products and shall comply with the minimum shelf-life requirement for its export to Saudi Arabia.
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Food Products intended for the Saudi market shall be in compliance to the Halal requirements as per SFDA.FD/GSO 993 and SFDA.FD/GSO 2055-1 with respect to its slaughtering & processing practices.
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Shipping containers for Chilled and Frozen Food Products must comply with SFDA.FD/GSO 323.
Prohibited, Banned
and Restricted Products
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Certain products have been classified as HARAM (Prohibited) in KSA such as but not limited to Pork and Pork products, Foodstuff and preparations from Animal blood, Wines and Intoxicants.
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Some products have been Banned/ Restricted from import into KSA such as Nutmeg, etc.
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For more information on the Prohibited and Banned list of products, Exporters may contact the local Intertek Offices
Marking and Labelling Requirements
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Marking and Labelling information shall be
in Arabic language. Other Languages may be used in addition to the Arabic Marking and Labeling provided that the information written in these languages is equivalent to the information written in Arabic text.
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Marking and Labelling must comply with SFDA.FD/GSO 9 requirements that stresses on both consumer information and respect of the
Saudi Customs and Islamic values (offensive imagery, contents shall be avoided).
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Nutritional Labelling must comply with
SFDA.FD 2233 which stipulates the guidelines on mandatory nutrient declaration and supplementary nutrition information for certain prepackaged Food products.
Additional Documentation
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Original Invoice attested by Trade Authority of the Country of Origin
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Certificate of Origin legalised by Chamber of Commerce of the Country of Origin
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All slaughtered animal products and meat products must be Halal certified and shall be accompanied with original Halal Slaughter Certificates and Halal Certificates as applicable
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Animal product consignments shall be accompanied with Health Certificates
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All Vegetable and Fruit product (Processed, Frozen, etc.) consignments from Egypt shall be accompanied with Health Certificates.
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All consignments of Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Agricultural Crops, and Spices from Egypt shall be accompanied by a Test Report issued by an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory stating that the consignment has been tested for the absence of Hepatitis A virus.
