The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) intensified its regulatory and field inspection efforts across public benefit markets in Saudi Arabia during Q3 2026, conducting 26,118 inspection visits in July, August, and September. The visits aim to ensure the safety and quality of agricultural and animal products, enhance compliance with regulations and requirements, and monitor product availability and food supply stability, supporting consumer protection and Saudi Arabia's food security.
The inspection visits covered vegetable and fruit markets, livestock, meat, poultry, fish, and birds, as well as farms, slaughterhouses, and other activities associated with public benefit markets. Efforts focused on priority and higher-risk sites and activities, verifying compliance with applicable requirements and standards for the handling, display, and sale of products, identifying practices that may affect product safety and quality, and taking regulatory action against violations.
The Ministry stated that the number of inspection visits reached over 3,729 in July 2026, resulting in 335 violations cited and 571 warnings issued. Field operations saw a notable ramp-up in August of the same year, with inspection teams carrying out more than 12,220 checks across various targeted activities and markets. The Ministry then kept up its intensive oversight in September, conducting over 10,169 inspections—involving 1,165 compliance officers—covering roughly 17,857 establishments.
During Q3, MEWA focused on strengthening oversight of agricultural and animal products, monitoring their safety, availability, and supply stability to meet consumer needs across different seasons. Particular attention was also given to dates and date products, with inspections covering compliance with approved requirements and standards throughout production, handling, and marketing stages.
Field inspections during the third quarter revealed an abundance of food products across the Kingdom's markets, driven by the agricultural sector's production growth and rising self-sufficiency levels across several commodities. Self-sufficiency rates reached 127% for dates, 120% for milk and dairy products, 105% for eggs, 82% for vegetables, 76% for poultry products, 69% for fish, 55% for red meat, 36% for fruits, and 25% for wheat.
MEWA reaffirmed its continued field and regulatory inspections across Saudi Arabia, enhancing the readiness of its teams and the efficiency of its inspection tools to keep pace with developments in the food production system, strengthen food security, and support the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.