According to the Peninsula, the decision was announced following a meeting of the National Food Safety Committee held yesterday.

They say that Dr Gail Chanpong, Director, Public Health Department at the National Health Authority (NHA), in a statement to Qatar News Agency said that the decision was taken based on a report of the World Health Organisation on animal health which pointed out that the authorities in Saudi Arabia had managed to control the bird flu epidemic.

The ban was imposed on November 15 last year after the report of an outbreak of bird flu in certain parts of Saudi Arabia. The National Food Safety Committee is a regulatory body under the NHA and comprises representatives from Specifications and Standards General Authority and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture.