Importing Halal Frozen Chicken from Brazil into Saudi Arabia (2026)

Key takeaways

To land Brazilian halal frozen chicken in Saudi Arabia, three things must all be true before you ship: the exporting SIF plant is registered with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), the halal certifier is approved by the Saudi Halal Center, and every consignment carries both a Halal Certificate and a Halal Shipment Certificate. Saudi Arabia has mandated halal certification on all imported meat and poultry since November 2020. Add the Brazilian SIF health/veterinary certificate and Arabic labelling, and confirm the complete document set with the importer before booking. Clearance remains subject to official checks.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest buyers of Brazilian poultry and one of the strictest on documentation. The chicken being genuinely halal is necessary but not sufficient, Saudi customs and the SFDA check the paper chain line by line. This guide is the checklist a first-time importer should run before signing the proforma.

1. SFDA plant registration

Food imports into Saudi Arabia must be registered with the SFDA, and for meat and poultry the exporting plant itself must be on the SFDA register. This is plant-by-plant: a Brazilian exporter may run product from several SIF facilities, but only the SFDA-registered ones may ship to the Kingdom. Ask your supplier for the specific SIF plant code and confirm it is SFDA-registered before you contract, this is a possible clearance failure.

2. Halal Certificate + Halal Shipment Certificate

Saudi Arabia requires two halal documents, not one. The Halal Certificate establishes that the plant and product are halal-certified; the Halal Shipment Certificate ties that status to your specific consignment. Both must be issued by a certifying body approved by the Saudi Halal Center. Brazil's main certifiers, FAMBRAS Halal, CDIAL Halal and SIIL Halal, are widely recognised, but you must confirm your certifier's current Saudi Halal Center approval, acceptance can change.

3. Health and veterinary certification

Frozen meat and poultry require a sanitary/health certificate issued by the exporting government. In Brazil that is the Serviço de Inspeção Federal (SIF) certificate, whose plant number is printed on every carton and referenced on the accompanying documentation. This travels alongside the halal papers, both are checked at entry.

4. Arabic labelling and packaging

Labels must be in Arabic and carry the halal certification marks, production and expiry dates, net weight, storage temperature and country of origin. Retail-ready 15 kg master cartons are common for the Saudi market. Non-compliant or English-only labelling is a routine cause of holds at the port.

Ports, spec and terms

Saudi shipments usually discharge at Jeddah (Red Sea) or Dammam (Gulf). GCC buyers typically pull whole birds and the 220 to 260 g leg-quarter band, fully halal, HS code 0207.14, in one 40-foot high-cube reefer per order (about 27 tonnes). FOB Santos, CFR and CIF are all quotable; pricing is confirmed in a current quotation for the cut and contract size. Request a live quote, the market moves weekly on feed cost, FX and avian-influenza news.

Before you sign: the Saudi checklist

Confirm all of the following in writing from your exporter: the SIF plant code and its SFDA registration; the halal certifier and its current Saudi Halal Center approval; that both a Halal Certificate and a Halal Shipment Certificate will be issued per shipment; the SIF health certificate; and Arabic labelling. A supplier who can produce these on request is one you can clear goods with; one who cannot is not.