Gulf states are among the world's largest per-capita importers of live animals. Saudi Arabia imports millions of sheep and cattle annually for domestic consumption and for Hajj and Eid al-Adha religious sacrifice. The UAE imports from Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Kuwait and Qatar also have significant live import volumes. Welfare conditions on long-distance livestock vessels to the Gulf — heat stress, overcrowding, water access — have been extensively documented by welfare investigators.
In 2025, improvements include: mandatory welfare monitoring requirements for vessels calling at UAE ports, cooling requirements for vessels in Gulf waters during summer, and increased veterinary inspection capacity at Jebel Ali and other major ports. Australia's ESCAS system requires welfare monitoring through the Gulf supply chain. However, monitoring capacity for the vast volumes of sheep and cattle transiting Gulf ports remains stretched.
Companion animal keeping is increasing rapidly in Gulf states, particularly in expatriate communities. The UAE has developed the most comprehensive companion animal welfare framework in the region — Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter, Dubai Municipality veterinary services, and the Animal Welfare Foundation operate. Stray dog populations are managed primarily through municipal shelter and euthanasia programs; TNR is practiced in some areas for cats.
Exotic pet keeping is a welfare and conservation concern in Gulf states: big cats (cheetahs, lions, tigers), primates, and reptiles are illegally kept as status symbols in some communities. The UAE introduced federal legislation in 2016 (Federal Law No. 22/2016) prohibiting keeping dangerous animals including cheetahs as pets. Enforcement has improved but illegal exotic pet trade persists.
Camel racing is a significant cultural and sporting tradition across Gulf states. Welfare of racing camels — training, racing conditions, transport — has attracted attention. The replacement of child jockeys (banned in the UAE in 2002, Qatar in 2004) with robot jockeys (remote-controlled systems) eliminated the child labor dimension but the welfare of racing camels themselves remains a concern. Training methods, racing frequency, and post-career camel welfare are areas where welfare organizations engage with racing authorities.
Falconry is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage practiced widely in Gulf states. Welfare of captive falcons — housing, training, health care — is a specialized area. The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, the world's largest, treats thousands of falcons annually and is a model of raptor veterinary care. Falcon welfare is taken seriously within the falconry community. Wild falcon capture and illegal trafficking remain conservation and welfare concerns for some species.
Iran has a complex animal welfare landscape. The Animal Protection Law (2011) provides some framework, primarily focused on companion animals and prohibiting torture. A civil society welfare movement has grown in Iranian cities, with particular focus on stray dog management (Iran has significant urban stray dog and cat populations). Religious debates about dog keeping (dogs are considered unclean in some Islamic interpretations) complicate companion animal welfare policy.
Iranian livestock — cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and poultry — are managed under veterinary oversight but welfare standards are not a regulatory priority. Traditional Nowruz (Persian New Year) practices involving fish (goldfish released or given as gifts) and live fish transport are welfare concerns addressed by Iranian welfare organizations.
Iran has significant wildlife including Persian leopard, Asiatic cheetah (critically endangered — fewer than 15 individuals estimated), Persian fallow deer, and diverse avifauna. Conservation organizations including the Persian Heritage Foundation and Iranian Cheetah Society work on these species. The Asiatic cheetah — found only in Iran — is perhaps the world's most critically endangered large felid; habitat management, prey base recovery, and road mortality prevention are welfare and conservation priorities.
Iraq's animal welfare framework is minimal. The veterinary system, damaged by decades of conflict, has limited capacity for welfare oversight. Companion animal welfare organizations operate primarily in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where more stable governance has allowed civil society to develop. Baghdad and other cities have significant stray animal populations managed primarily through culling. Wildlife in Iraq — including Mesopotamian wetland birds, Persian gazelles, and riparian mammals — faces habitat loss from water management, oil extraction, and agricultural expansion.
Jordan's Animal Care Society and several smaller organizations operate companion animal welfare programs. The Amman municipality has implemented TNR programs for stray cats. Camel welfare in Jordan's tourist economy — at Petra and Wadi Rum, where camels are used as transport — has been a focus for welfare organizations and ethical tourism initiatives. World Animal Protection has worked with Jordan's tourism authority to develop camel welfare guidelines for tourist operators.
Lebanon has a relatively active civil society animal welfare sector despite the country's severe economic crisis. Animals Lebanon and BETA (Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) conduct rescue operations, advocacy, and public education. Lebanon bans animal circuses (law passed 2015). However, economic collapse has severely strained welfare organizations' capacity — feed, veterinary supplies, and operational funding are all constrained. Lebanon's welfare organizations describe the economic crisis as creating a secondary animal welfare crisis as owners unable to feed pets abandon animals and shelters become overwhelmed.
Islamic teaching provides a framework for animal welfare (hifz al-hayawan — protection of animals) with explicit obligations toward animals under human care. In 2025, Islamic scholars and welfare scientists are collaborating through the Global Interfaith Animal Network and similar bodies to develop Islamic animal welfare guidance compatible with modern veterinary science. These collaborations are generating practical guidance on halal slaughter welfare improvements, livestock transport standards, and companion animal welfare compatible with Islamic frameworks.
Tags: Middle East Gulf States Iran Jordan Lebanon 2025