SFDA CEO Advances International Cooperation and Food Safety Regulatory Integration in Auckland
Summary
H.E. Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, conducted bilateral strategic meetings with counterparts from the Netherlands (NVWA), United Kingdom (FSA), Norway (Norwegian Food Safety Authority), and New Zealand (MPI) at the 7th International Heads of Food Agencies Forum in Auckland. Discussions covered AI integration for food risk management and digital inspection, nutrition policy assessment, food safety cooperation, and Halal ecosystem development. Saudi Arabia maintains its role as a founding member and secretariat host of the forum, with the UK set to host the next IHFAF meeting.
“The International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) is an annual gathering that brings together leaders of regulatory authorities worldwide to unify efforts and enhance the safety and quality of food systems.”
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What changed
SFDA CEO Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey concluded a series of bilateral strategic meetings with international regulatory counterparts at the 7th International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) in Auckland, New Zealand. Meetings addressed AI integration for food risk management and digital inspection protocols (with NVWA), nutrition policy assessment and regulatory harmonization (with UK FSA), collaborative food risk assessments (with Norwegian Food Safety Authority), and Halal ecosystem cooperation for global market access (with New Zealand MPI).
The forum, under the theme 'Risk Communication,' brings together leaders of food regulatory authorities worldwide to unify efforts and enhance food safety systems. Saudi Arabia, represented by SFDA, has hosted the forum's secretariat since its inception over six years ago. While these meetings do not create immediate compliance obligations, they signal growing international regulatory convergence in food safety standards and AI-enabled inspection technologies that regulated food manufacturers and exporters should monitor for potential impacts on market access requirements.
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
H.E. Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), conducted a series of strategic bilateral meetings with international regulatory counterparts on the sidelines of the 7th International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) in Auckland.
Dr. Aljadhey commenced the discussions with Mr. Gerard Bakker, Inspector General at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The two sides explored frameworks for deepening technical cooperation and the exchange of expertise. A primary focus was the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimize food risk management, refine product evaluations, and enhance the precision of digital inspection and compliance protocols.
In a subsequent meeting with Ms. Katie Pettifer, CEO of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom, the dialogue centered on assessing the impact of nutrition policies and harmonizing regulatory methodologies to support evidence-based governance. The discussion also noted that the United Kingdom will host the next IHFAF meeting, acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s foundational leadership in utilizing this platform to drive global regulatory collaboration.
Furthering the SFDA’s bilateral engagements, Dr. Aljadhey met with Ms. Ingunn Midttun Godal, Director General of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The two sides discussed advancing collaborative food risk assessments and sharing best practices to bolster the resilience and efficiency of global food safety systems.
Dr. Aljadhey concluded his engagements with Mr. Vincent Arbuckle, Deputy Director-General of New Zealand Food Safety at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Dr. Aljadhey expressed his appreciation to New Zealand for its exceptional hosting of the forum, emphasizing the Kingdom's—represented by the SFDA—aspirations for high-quality outcomes that enhance international coordination. The meeting also addressed strengthening cooperation within the Halal ecosystem and supporting the development of related platforms to facilitate global market access for compliant products.
The International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) is an annual gathering that brings together leaders of regulatory authorities worldwide to unify efforts and enhance the safety and quality of food systems. Under this year’s theme, "Risk Communication," the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the SFDA, maintains its standing as a founding member. Having hosted the forum’s secretariat since its inception over six years ago, the SFDA continues to play a pivotal role in spearheading joint international efforts in food safety.
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