The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is providing oversight and inspection support to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) for several fish processing units (UPIs) in Indonesia. This activity is part of an effort to increase the number of UPIs eligible for export to Saudi Arabia. 58 Indonesian UPIs have been registered in Saudi Arabia, with commodities consisting of wild-caught seafood according to the Acting Head of the Maritime and Fisheries Quality Control and Supervision Agency (BP2MHKP). Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have been cooperating in the field of Food Quality Assurance Systems (SJMKHP) since August 13, 2020. The agreement between the two countries is titled "Memorandum of Understanding between the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority and Saudi Food and Drug Authority Concerning Control, Quality, and Safety of Food and Drug Products."

One of the strategic opportunities arising from this cooperation is the opening of doors for seafood exports to Saudi Arabia to meet the consumption needs of Hajj pilgrims. The SFDA's inspection activities will strengthen the trust of Saudi Arabia's competent authorities in the implementation of SJMKHP in Indonesia, thereby opening up market access for Saudi Arabia's population and the shipment of Indonesian seafood to the Hajj market. The BP2MHKP's duties and functions involve controlling the entire seafood processing chain, from upstream to downstream. This control encompasses activities such as inspection, surveillance, verification, monitoring, and testing, and adheres to international standards such as the Codex. Until now, Indonesian seafood products have been accepted in 171 export destination countries, including Saudi Arabia, which is one of the potential seafood export markets from Indonesia. Considering the high potential for seafood exports to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia hopes to increase the number of registered UPIs and the types of aquaculture products accepted in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, from April 3 to 7, 2023, representatives from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries visited Saudi Arabia to accelerate the registration of Indonesian animal food facilities. Previously, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries requested facilitation for seafood industry players, including mentoring, certification, market potential profiling, and strengthening their role as quality assurance for the products they produce.

Source: https://investor.id/national/339933/kkp-kawal-ekspor-hasil-perikanan-ke-arab-saudi