The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the Third Meeting of the Steering and Technical Committees for the Aquatic Animal Diseases Network in the Middle East (AQMENET), along with a regional training workshop dedicated to National Aquatic Animal Focal Points.

The event saw participation from representatives of ten countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, and Somalia, in addition to representatives from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and specialists and experts in the field.

The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Sanad Al-Harbi, Head of Animal Health at the "Weqaa" (Prevention) Center, on behalf of Dr. Ali Al-Shaikhi, Assistant Undersecretary for Livestock and Fisheries.

Over the course of four days, the workshop discussed a number of important topics, most notably strategies for enhancing aquatic animal health and safety, and the latest updates to the WOAH Aquatic Code. This discussion aims to contribute to developing the capabilities of member states, strengthening regional cooperation in aquatic animal health, and exchanging the latest experiences and expertise among the participating countries.