British lamb will soon be back on the menu in Saudi Arabia as part of a revitalised market agreement worth an estimated £25 million over the next five years.

Total UK exports to Saudi Arabia were worth over £152 million last year. Top exports in 2017 included sweet biscuits (£13m), chocolate (£10.9m), butter (£6m) and cheese (£5.1m).

The deal lifts a 20 year long ban on exporting British lamb after the BSE crisis. It has been secured by the government, working with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP).

The deal follows the prime minister’s announcement last month that the Chinese government has agreed to progress lifting the BSE ban on UK beef exports to China, and is another boost to the UK’s growing food and drink exports which reached a record level of £22 billion in 2017.

Food minister George Eustice said:

"This is a significant development for our British lamb farmers and meat producers, with the potential to boost jobs and bring millions of pounds into an industry which guarantees quality from farm to fork.

As the global appetite for the UK’s delicious food and drink products grows, we are supporting more of our farmers, fishermen and producers to take advantage of the world of opportunity that export markets have to offer."

AHDB international market development director Phil Hadley said:

"This is great news for the sheep industry and for lamb processors and producers in the UK who are keen to look at new, non-EU markets.

The announcement is the result of ongoing and detailed work between all parties and is a testament to the high regard and quality of UK lamb."