Saudi bans chicken export after price hike RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia has banned the export of chickens in an attempt to curb an online public campaign to boycott poultry consumption due to high prices. The Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry decided Wednesday to halt the export of chicken until the domestic market is stabilized, Emirates 24/7 reported. The decision followed a campaign launched by Saudis on Twitter to boycott buying and eating chicken in the country when prices for poultry rose 30-40 percent, the Financial Times reported. "If you stop eating chicken, it will help bring down the corrupt traders, not just the prices," one person tweeted. Essam al-Zamil, a social media expert who organized the chicken boycott, said Twitter had almost replaced the traditional councils where Saudis exchange views on their affairs behind closed doors. Those councils were discussing what was being debated on Twitter rather than the other way round, he said.