Egypt starts exporting Arabian horses to Italy, Germany

CAIRO – 7 August 2017: Egypt exported its first shipment of Arabian horses in seven years to European Union countries Monday morning from Cairo International Airport’s Cargo Village.

Mona Mehrez, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Livestock, supervised the shipment, along with Ahmed Abdel Karim, Director of Veterinary Quarantine Department at Cairo International Airport.

Arabian horses are renowned for their speed, refinement, endurance and strong bones, which makes them ideal horses for competing in several equestrian sports. This breed is considered one of the top 10 horse breeds in the world, along with the Thoroughbred and the American Quarter House.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has conducted several international calls with EU member countries to restore export of Arabian horses,” Mehrez said in a press release.

The Ministry of Agriculture has complied with EU standards and regulations for the export of the horses, Mehrez added, and have performed all necessary tests on the horses to assure that they are free from epidemiological diseases which have confirmed that Egypt’s horses are completely disease-free.

These shipments to Italy and Germany followed the quarantine of the horses at the Military Veterinary Hospital of the Armed Forces as it is a disease-free establishment.

“This is a great opportunity for the return of Egyptian Arabian horses to the international arena, as European countries are the key to exporting to the rest of the world,” Mehrez said.