A new deal between the UK government and Saudi Arabia, announced on Friday, has lifted a 20-year ban on British lamb after the BSE crisis. The agreement is estimated to be worth £25 million over the next five years.

The deal follows Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement last month that the Chinese government has agreed to progress lifting the BSE ban on UK beef exports to China.

“I welcome the opening of any new market, but we need to see the details of export requirements to see how viable it is,” said Laurent Vernet from Quality Meat Scotland.

Total UK exports to Saudi Arabia were worth over £152 million last year. Top exports in 2017 included sweet biscuits (£13m), chocolate (£10.9m), butter (£6m) and cheese (£5.1m).

The deal was secured by the UK government, working with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP).

“This is a significant development for our British lamb farmers and meat producers, with the potential to boost jobs and bring millions of pounds into an industry which guarantees quality from farm to fork,” food minister George Eustice said.

The news comes as British businesses promote their products at Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food and beverage trade show currently being held in Dubai.

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