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The Saudi Food and Drug Authority announced that its CEO, Dr. Hisham Aljadhey, is heading the Saudi delegation to the 49th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva this week. The gathering, which runs from July 6 to 10, 2026, unites commission leaders with representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization as well as delegates from member and observer countries. The SFDA statement noted that the meeting opened with addresses from FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Codex Chairperson Dr. Allan Azegele.
According to the SFDA, delegates are reviewing the outputs of specialized Codex committees while examining capacity-building programs, scientific advice mechanisms, emerging global food safety challenges and implementation of the Codex Strategic Plan. The authority underlined Saudi Arabia’s active engagement across these agenda items as part of its longstanding commitment to international food governance. Such participation allows the Kingdom to influence standards that affect both domestic regulations and cross-border commerce.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established jointly by the FAO and WHO in 1963 and now counts 189 member states that develop harmonized international food standards through technical committees and working groups, FAO data shows. Saudi Arabia joined the commission in 1968 and has served as vice chair since late 2024 while simultaneously holding a seat on its Executive Committee, the SFDA reported. This elevated position reflects the Kingdom’s expanded role in shaping science-based rules that underpin consumer protection and global trade.
A November 2024 election elevated a Saudi official to the vice chair post, an advance that Arab News said underscores the country’s growing influence within the multilateral body. World Trade Organization agreements reference Codex standards as benchmarks, helping to facilitate more than $1.5 trillion in annual global food trade according to WTO assessments. The SFDA has integrated these international norms into national frameworks to support Saudi Vision 2030 objectives for regulatory excellence and economic diversification.
The current session follows directly from the 90th meeting of the Codex Executive Committee, which wrapped up immediately beforehand and prepared texts for adoption, revision or revocation, FAO documentation indicates. Among the matters carried forward are updates on pesticide residues, food additives and performance criteria for analytical methods that influence supply chains worldwide. Saudi delegates continue to press for measures that balance safety requirements with the practical needs of producers and exporters in member countries.
