Riyadh, March 14, 2022, SPA -- The Regional Coordinator for the Near East Countries in Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX), Khaled Al-Zahrani, reviewed the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) experience in leading the region to enhance the participation of its countries at the level of Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). This came during a virtual workshop entitled "The Role and Participation of Observers in the Food Codex", in coordination with the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), and the Arab Beverages Association. The Vice-Chairperson of CODEX, Dr. Allan Azegele, CODEX Secretariat representative, Sarah Cahil, and regional heads, participated in the workshop and gave lectures about their experiences in the work of CODEX. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by SFDA, has been leading the work of the Coordinating Committee for the Near East Countries (CCNE) in the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) since October 2020. It is noteworthy that CODEX was established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and it includes 189 members and 237 observers. CODEX holds meetings annually to approve standards and to ensure food safety and quality. A number of committees and working groups related to the preparation of standards at the international level fall under CODEX, and the Kingdom chairs and participates in a number of them. --SPA 16:11 LOCAL TIME 13:11 GMT 0016 www.spa.gov.sa/w1706031