Seed import compliance in Saudi Arabia
Authorities reviewed 2026-10-23
Short answer
Seed and seedling imports are licensed by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA). Companies submit requirements through the Hassad system and import requests through the Naama portal. A new variety is first imported as trial samples and tested under ministry supervision before registration and commercial sale.
Service requirements are published on the Naama portal and can change; confirm the current licence, registration and clearance steps with MEWA for each crop.
Responsible authorities and official sources
- MEWA Naama — Import Agricultural Seeds and Seedlings License
Official service description: requirements via Hassad, import requests via Naama, and trial-then-register steps for new varieties.
- MEWA Naama — Seeds and Seedlings Clearance Permit
Clearance permit service for imported agricultural seeds and seedlings.
- MEWA — Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
Responsible ministry for agricultural inputs, including import permits and licences.
Documents to prepare
- Confirm the importing company meets MEWA's licence requirements for seed trading.
- For a variety not yet registered, plan for trial-sample import and ministry-supervised testing before commercial volumes.
- Apply for the clearance permit for each consignment.
- Phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's plant-protection organisation, and seed lot test data matching the contract.
This is orientation, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm the current requirement with the authority for each crop, origin and shipment.
Next steps
- Start a seed sourcing request (qualified requests from USD 250,000)
- Seed price calculator (historical import unit values by HS code, not supplier prices)
- Seed import market map (UN Comtrade HS 1209 and HS 120991 imports by country, 2024)
- Seed, greenhouse and crop output journeys