Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipalities and Housing said on 28 September that regulatory coverage of food establishments reached 97% during the first half of 2026. Municipalities and governorates conduct monitoring across the Kingdom in coordination with relevant authorities. The ministry described the work as part of efforts to enhance food safety and reduce food-poisoning cases. It reported 97% as a coverage rate; the release did not define it as a count of businesses, inspection visits or violations. The ministry said local authorities would expand the scope and pace of field tours in the coming period to complete coverage, strengthen compliance with health requirements and protect consumers. The announcement sets out the reported coverage level and the direction of the next inspection phase.

The ministry said inspection teams visit restaurants, kitchens and food outlets. Their stated tasks include checking compliance with health requirements and regulations governing food activities, monitoring violations and taking regulatory measures against establishments that do not comply. This describes a field-based system that examines food businesses where preparation and sales take place, rather than relying only on a review of permits or paperwork. The ministry did not provide the number of visits or establishments inspected, the frequency of visits, a breakdown of violations or the type and value of penalties. The 97% coverage figure therefore cannot by itself establish how intensive inspections were or what share of businesses failed to meet requirements. It is a reach measure as presented by the ministry.

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing said continuing coordination among municipalities, governorates and partner entities improves the efficiency and readiness of the food-safety system to respond to observations and violations. Local inspection work is carried out through this multi-agency structure. The ministry also identified a public reporting route for concerns about food businesses: residents can use the unified telephone number 940 or the Baladi platform. It said community participation supports field monitoring and helps authorities identify and address observations quickly. The announcement did not specify how reports are classified, how quickly a response is expected or how inspection findings are closed. It presents public reporting as a complement to official field tours, rather than as a substitute for municipal enforcement.

The ministry’s statement distinguishes the achieved 97% coverage rate in the first half of 2026 from the expanded inspection work planned for the following period. Coverage should not be read as proof that every food establishment complies with health rules: it is not the same indicator as a compliance rate, a count of violations or the number of food-related illnesses. The ministry described reducing food poisoning as an objective but did not report a measured decline in cases. For consumers, the announced practical step is to report suspected non-compliance through 940 or Baladi. Municipal inspection tours and public reports together form two parts of the ministry’s monitoring approach.