Auckland: CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Dr. Hisham Aljadhey 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.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Dr. Aljadhey began discussions with Inspector General of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) Gerard Bakker. They explored ways to deepen technical cooperation and exchange expertise, addressing the integration of AI to enhance food risk management, product assessments, and the accuracy of digital inspection and compliance systems.

In a separate meeting with CEO of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom, Katie Pettifer, discussions focused on evaluating the impact of nutrition policies and aligning regulatory methodologies to support evidence-based governance. The United Kingdom will host the next IHFAF meeting, acknowledging Saudi Arabia's foundational leadership in advancing global regulatory collaboration.

Furthering the SFDA's bilateral engagements, Dr. Aljadhey met with Director General of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Ingunn Midttun Godal. They discussed advancing collaborative food risk assessments and sharing best practices to strengthen the resilience and efficiency of global food safety systems.

Dr. Aljadhey concluded his engagements with Deputy Director-General of New Zealand Food Safety at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Vincent Arbuckle. He expressed appreciation to New Zealand for hosting the forum and emphasized the SFDA's aspirations for high-quality outcomes that enhance international coordination.

IHFAF is an annual gathering that unites 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, represented by the SFDA, maintains its position as a founding member. Having hosted the forum's secretariat since its inception over six years ago, it continues to play a pivotal role in leading joint international efforts in food safety.