|
|
As Saudi Arabia goes, so goes the GCC.(Gulf Cooperation Council)
- Article from:
-
AgExporter
- Article date:
-
December 1, 2004
- Author:
- Mousa, Hussein
|
Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2004 U.S. Department of Agriculture. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Saudi Arabia is the largest and most influential member of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), which also includes the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.
The Saudi high-value food market is the largest and fastest growing in the GCC region, as reflected in U.S. exports. Of the $833.3 million worth of U.S. agricultural, fish and forest exports to the GCC region in fiscal 2004, $383.7 million worth went to Saudi Arabia--almost a third in the form of consumer-oriented food products.
As a group, the GCC strives to create a common set of food standards, but it is SASO (the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization) that leads standard setting for the region, ...