Abu Dhabi

The Ministry of Commerce of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has imposed a four-month ban on rice exports. The ban, effective July 28, covers the UAE’s free zones and applies to all varieties of rice, including brown rice, in whole or in part, according to a statement released on the ministry’s social media account on Saturday. Contains milled rice and broken rice.

Companies interested in exporting or re-exporting rice must request an export permit from the Ministry of Commerce, the statement said. It added that the ban can be automatically extended until a decision is made to cancel its implementation.

The UAE ban follows the Indian government’s decision last week to halt exports of non-basmati white rice due to a rise in prices in the domestic market and significant crop damage due to late but heavy monsoon rains, reports Xinhua news agency. came after The United Arab Emirates imports about 90 per cent of the food it needs.