Riyadh was the setting for a plant-health programme that combined a concluded regional committee meeting with a technical consultation scheduled for 5–8 October. According to the Saudi Press Agency’s report dated 4 October, the executive committee of the Near East and North Africa Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) concluded its meeting in the city on 3–4 October. Dr Mohamed Alkuriji, chair of NEPPO’s Executive Council, was present alongside the organization’s executive director, Mohamed Habib Ben Jamâa. Representatives of member states Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Oman, Egypt, Iraq and Sudan took part. The committee meeting reviewed regional biosecurity work and implementation of the organization’s 2025–2035 strategic roadmap. Its participation therefore brought together a defined group of member representatives around a long-term regional plan, rather than announcing a new national measure or a separate pest-control operation.

The second part of the Riyadh programme was the 38th session of the Technical Consultation among Regional Plant Protection Organizations, or TC-RPPOs. The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases, known as the Weqaa Center, organized the four-day session for 5–8 October. The SPA report on 4 October described the consultation as due to begin on Monday; it did not report that the session had concluded. Representatives of plant-protection organizations from several regions were expected, together with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agenda was to follow up on earlier consultations, review developments in regional organizations and discuss technical and strategic issues of common interest. Planned work also included exchanging expertise, strengthening coordination and cooperation, and developing future directions and action plans for plant health and protection.

Taken together, the meetings address connected levels of regional cooperation. NEPPO’s executive committee brought together representatives from six member states to consider the organization’s 2025–2035 roadmap and regional biosecurity. The technical consultation involved a wider set of regional plant-protection bodies and international organizations. Plant pests can affect production, while phytosanitary requirements shape trade in plants and plant products. The committee meeting had concluded by the report date, whereas the four-day consultation was upcoming.