Saudi Arabia, South Korea discuss strengthening food safety and drug evaluation cooperation
SEOUL — The Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) met with South Korea’s Minister of Food and Drug Safety to discuss ongoing cooperation in food, pharmaceuticals and medical products, with a focus on enhancing their quality and safety. The meeting between Prof. Hisham Aljadhey and Dr. Oh Yu-kyoung took place on the sidelines of the annual summit of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA), where the two officials reviewed cooperation under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the SFDA and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2023. Both sides explored ways to expand cooperation, particularly in joint scientific drug evaluations and the exchange of expertise and best practices in food monitoring and traceability. Aljadhey and Oh Yu-kyoung also discussed opportunities for cooperation in managing foodborne disease risks and reviewed each country’s approach to preventing these diseases and reducing their occurrence. **media[2790146]** The discussions further addressed the exchange of expertise to enhance the effectiveness of regulatory oversight, alongside cooperation in the halal sector. The meeting included South Korea’s technical team specializing in foodborne diseases, as well as representatives from the SFDA and the Saudi Halal Center. On the sidelines of the summit, Aljadhey also held separate bilateral meetings with heads of regulatory authorities from Egypt, Portugal, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The meetings focused on issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen regulatory cooperation and exchange expertise.