First Australian sheep shipment in 12 years docks in Saudi Arabia

Cairo: The first shipment of sheep from Australia in more than 12 years has arrived in Saudi Arabia where demand for meat surges during the month of Ramadan, a trade unionist has said. The ship carried 25,000 sheep, according to Sulaiman Al Jabri, an ex-head of the Livestock Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce in the port city. Prices at the Saudi meat market stabilised at the start of Ramadan in the wake of the delivery of the first Australian sheep shipment with more cargos expected in the lead-up to the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage season scheduled for June. “The period ahead will witness receiving more shipments to meet the increasing demand for red meat and cover all needs of consumers among citizens, expatriate residents and pilgrims coming to the Holy Capital (Mecca) these days to spend the holy month of Ramadan at the Grand Mosque,” Al Jabri said, according to the Saudi news portal Sabq. He anticipated meat prices to maintain stability in the next days amid state ...