Trade in Animals and Animal Products
January 11, 2019
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The first inter-regional workshop on trade in live animals and animal products took place in Abu Dhabi from 6 to 8 October 2026, during Abu Dhabi Global Food Week 2026. The WOAH Sub-Regional Representation for the Arabian Gulf organised it, in collaboration with the WOAH Regional Representation for the Middle East, the WOAH Sub-Regional Representation for Eastern Africa, and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA).
The meeting brought together government authorities from the Middle East, the Gulf region and Africa with international and regional organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Development partners, financial institutions and private-sector stakeholders also took part.
The workshop served as a strategic platform to build consensus on safe, sustainable and resilient livestock trade, while addressing the risks posed by trade-sensitive transboundary animal diseases. Participants discussed how to enhance veterinary services and strengthen biosecurity, surveillance, early warning and rapid response systems.
They also called for better information sharing and for the harmonisation of sanitary, technical and regulatory requirements. Aligned rules make it easier to trade animals and animal products while safeguarding animal and public health.
Participants stressed the need to strengthen regional supply chains, reduce trade barriers and improve preparedness for emerging risks. Closer collaboration among veterinary authorities was seen as the foundation for all of these efforts.
The workshop highlighted opportunities for public-private investment in livestock value chains and in trade-supporting infrastructure, such as export hubs and alternative corridors. These assets can maintain trade and supply resilience in the event of disruption. Speakers also discussed the growing role of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and innovation in improving veterinary governance, risk management and trade efficiency.
A key outcome of the workshop is the Draft Regional Cooperation Plan and Joint Roadmap. It provides a framework for stronger coordination among veterinary services, harmonised technical and sanitary standards and closer technical and commercial exchanges.
The roadmap also supports priority regional initiatives, such as the WOAH TRUST initiative, over the short, medium and long term. Participating countries and partners reaffirmed their shared commitment to animal health, food security and safe trade.
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