Following its partnership talks with Pfizer and Agfa HealthCare, Saudi Arabia has launched efforts to develop its internal medical and pharmaceutical production capacity.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef conducted official business in Belgium, where he met with Pfizer executives to discuss potential vaccine and medicine production partnerships within Saudi Arabia.
The official statement confirmed that their negotiations will support the objectives of both Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy and Vision 2030 framework.
The parties discussed potential areas of joint research and educational partnership, which would enable them to share their advanced manufacturing expertise in vaccine production and biopharmaceutical development.
The two parties studied methods to enhance connections within the pharmaceutical supply chain, while they also planned joint projects that would create high-quality partnerships to ensure the Kingdom’s pharmaceutical security for the future.
Alkhorayef visited Pfizer’s Brussels production facilities during his official visit to the company which included a presentation about Pfizer’s worldwide operations and its planned investments in vaccine production and biopharmaceutical development. Pfizer representatives described the company’s global presence while they expressed their plans to implement advanced technologies at upcoming Saudi Arabian facilities.
The minister met with the Agfa HealthCare chief executive officer to discuss potential partnerships between their organizations which would develop medical devices and cutting-edge industrial solutions. He visited the company’s facilities to examine its medical imaging solutions and its digital health data management system and its advanced radiology equipment and its production capabilities for specialized chemicals and green hydrogen membrane technologies.
The official delegation from Belgium included Alkhorayef who conducted meetings and site evaluations to strengthen economic partnerships and secure investments and obtain modern pharmaceutical and medical technology transfer agreements.
The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s wider push to build domestic capacity in critical industries, a strategy accelerated by supply chain disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kingdom established its National Industrial Strategy to prioritize pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, which will turn Saudi Arabia into a manufacturing center that serves markets throughout the Middle East and Africa.
