Saudi Arabia’s ban on Egyptian guava imports comes into effect on 18 January, sources from the central quarantine administration tell Al Borsa. Until then, the kingdom will be accepting contracted shipments that prove safe enough for consumption. Saudi had issued a temporary ban on guava imports from Egypt due to concerns over unsafe levels of residual pesticides, prompting the Agriculture Ministry to issue tighter regulations that aim to ensure the quality of exported goods. The new directives — under which cargo will be examined at least twice and could be rejected entirely if a single sample proves to be contaminated — will be sent over to the Saudi environment minister to make a case for lifting the ban. Saudi Arabia is one of several Gulf countries that banned imports of various Egyptian crops last year due to residual pesticide levels, which has had the government working to develop and adopt new quality control measures for agricultural exports.