Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus –Saudi Arabia

Supply-chain Risk Briefing: Saudi Arabia MERS-CoV Outbreak

1. Summary

From December 2021 to October 2022, Saudi Arabia reported 4 confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) with no fatalities. WHO mentioned the need for increased global awareness but stated there was no change in the overall risk assessment. No secondary infection cases were confirmed.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Energy sector - Saudi Arabia is the world's largest crude oil exporter, with potential disruptions to oil production and export personnel if the disease spreads
• Logistics hub - As a central aviation and maritime logistics hub in the Middle East, infection spread could affect global cargo transportation networks
• Construction and infrastructure - Risk of cluster infections among foreign workers deployed in major construction projects (NEOM, Riyadh development, etc.)
• Food supply - Given the country's high food import dependency, logistics disruptions could destabilize regional food supply chains
• Manufacturing - Cluster infections in major industrial complexes such as petrochemicals could cause production disruptions and cascading effects on global supply chains

3. Watch points

• Infection spread trends - Scale of future new confirmed cases and regional spread patterns, particularly in areas concentrated with industrial complexes and logistics facilities
• Government response measures - Assessment of actual impact of movement restrictions, quarantine policies, etc. on energy production and logistics operations
• Transmission to neighboring countries - Potential spread to GCC countries and possibility of cascading disruptions to regional logistics and energy supply chains