Saudi Arabia’s Health Chief on Building a Biotech Hub From Scratch
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- Saudi Arabia’s National Biotechnology Strategy aims to make the country a global biotechnology hub by 2040, built around vaccines, biomanufacturing and genomics.
- The plan is not just aspirational. A Saudi research center has already signed a deal with a U.S. venture firm to run early-stage drug trials inside the Kingdom.
- A health system in Riyadh links patient care, a medical university and a research institute, an arrangement its CEO says is meant to move lab findings toward patients faster.
- Bandar Al-Knawy, MD, the CEO behind the effort, says the real test is not the September summit itself, but whether the partnerships it produces still exist a year later.
Saudi Arabia’s National Biotechnology Strategy sets a specific target: $34.6 billion added to the country’s non-oil economy by 2040, alongside a bid to become the leading biotechnology hub in the Middle East by 2030 and globally by 2040 [1]. His Excellency Dr. Bandar bin Abdulmohsen Al-Knawy, MD, chief executive officer of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA) and president of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), oversees much of the infrastructure meant to carry that plan out.
The ambition runs ahead of the current capacity. A 2025 survey of Saudi biotechnology professionals published in the Galen Medical Journal cites earlier estimates that the sector imports up to 94% of its lab equipment and 89% of its reagents, and found that most surveyed respondents had experienced delays obtaining materials for genetic testing [4]. The strategy’s own aspirations and the sector’s present dependence on imported supplies describe the same gap from two directions.
Al-Knawy spoke with LA Times Studios ahead of the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit (RGMBS), scheduled for September 14-16, 2026, and organized by the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, KSAU-HS and the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment as strategic partner [3].
Organizers expect more than 15,000 visitors and delegations from more than 70 countries, with more than 65 agreements and memoranda of understanding targeted during the three-day event [3, 5]. His answers, lightly edited for length, are presented below alongside a house account of the deals and data behind them.
Quick Take & Key Quotes/Insights:
- Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology strategy targets $34.6 billion in added non-oil GDP by 2040 and 11,000 new jobs by 2030 [1].
- KAIMRC has already signed a strategic partnership with the U.S. venture firm Flagship Pioneering, backed by an initial $70 million investment, to run early-phase trials of four experimental genetic-disease treatments in Saudi Arabia [2].
- “The objective is not simply to bring technologies into the Kingdom,” Al-Knawy told LA Times Studios. “We want partnerships that build capabilities, develop Saudi talent, advance joint research, support technology transfer and create innovations that can benefit patients in Saudi Arabia and internationally.”
Strategic Vision and Global Alignment
LA Times Studios: With Vision 2030 driving technological transformation across the Kingdom, what role do you see international partnerships playing in accelerating medical biotechnology innovation in Saudi Arabia?
His Excellency Dr. Bandar bin Abdulmohsen Al-Knawy: International partnerships are fundamental to our ambitions because biotechnology is inherently global. Scientific discovery, clinical research, manufacturing and commercialization increasingly depend on collaboration across institutions and borders.
Saudi Arabia brings a strong healthcare system, research and clinical capabilities, investment capacity and a clear national direction through Vision 2030 and the National Biotechnology Strategy. International partners bring complementary scientific expertise, technologies and experience.
We are already seeing what this can look like in practice. KAIMRC’s partnership with Flagship Pioneering, for example, is expanding opportunities for early-phase clinical research of novel medicines from Flagship-founded companies in Saudi Arabia.
The objective is not simply to bring technologies into the Kingdom. We want partnerships that build capabilities, develop Saudi talent, advance joint research, support technology transfer and create innovations that can benefit patients in Saudi Arabia and internationally.
The partnership Al-Knawy references was announced in November 2025. Under it, KAIMRC and Flagship Pioneering set up a framework to run three Phase 1 trials and one Phase 2 trial of medicines from Flagship-founded companies targeting genetic diseases, using clinical facilities at KAIMRC, MNGHA and KSAU-HS, backed by an initial $70 million from Saudi investors [2].
Investment and Growth Under the National Biotechnology Strategy
LA Times Studios: In partnership with the Ministry of Investment, the summit highlights Invest Saudi initiatives. What are the most compelling opportunities currently available for global technology and venture partners looking to engage with Saudi Arabia’s healthcare and biotechnology sectors?
H.E. Dr. Bandar Al-Knawy: The opportunity extends across the biotechnology value chain. The National Biotechnology Strategy identifies clear priorities in vaccines, biomanufacturing and localization, and genomics, while the wider transformation of healthcare is creating opportunities in clinical research, precision medicine, artificial intelligence and advanced therapies.
What makes this period particularly important is that strategy, healthcare transformation, research capability and investment are increasingly coming together. We are seeing international partnerships move beyond market access toward clinical development, technology transfer, localization and the creation of research and manufacturing capability in the Kingdom.
Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit (RGMBS) reflects this approach. Through our Strategic Partnership with the Ministry of Investment, the Life Sciences Innovation Forum, structured bilateral meetings and dedicated investment sessions, we are creating practical opportunities for innovators, investors, researchers and companies to meet around specific technologies and opportunities.
For investors and technology partners, the opportunity is not simply to participate in a growing market, but to become part of a biotechnology ecosystem being built for the long term.
LA Times Studios: How is the Ministry structuring its health-tech and bio-innovation ecosystem to attract global intellectual property and long-term research infrastructure?
H.E. Dr. Bandar Al-Knawy: Our model benefits from the integration of healthcare, education and research. Within the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs ecosystem, clinical care is connected with King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) and the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC).
This gives us the ability to connect questions arising from patient care with research and clinical development. KAIMRC supports this through capabilities including the Saudi Biobank, early-phase clinical research, specialized laboratories and translational infrastructure.
Together, these capabilities create an environment where research can begin with a real clinical question and move progressively toward an innovation that can improve patient care.
But infrastructure alone is not enough. We are working to create an environment where international partners can establish sustained relationships with clinicians, scientists and academic institutions, conduct research, develop intellectual property and move promising discoveries closer to clinical application.
Our partnership with Flagship Pioneering is one example of this model, connecting international biotechnology innovation with Saudi clinical research capabilities. The goal is to build relationships that create research capacity, knowledge and long-term value in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s strategy sets a national R&D target alongside its GDP goal, aiming for 11,000 biotechnology jobs by 2030 as part of the same push toward self-sufficiency in vaccines, biomanufacturing and genomics that Al-Knawy describes [1]. The 2025 sector survey found the gap that remains: 67.3% of surveyed biotechnology professionals reported barriers importing materials, while separately citing an estimate of just seven certified bioinformatics specialists nationwide, a workforce bottleneck the strategy’s job targets are meant to close over time [4].
Innovation and Next-Generation Health
LA Times Studios: Interactive technologies, gamification and immersive digital platforms are increasingly influencing patient engagement and preventive healthcare. How open is the Saudi health system to adopting new approaches to public health education and patient engagement?
H.E. Dr. Bandar Al-Knawy: We should remain open to technologies that can demonstrate meaningful value for patients and the health system.
Digital and interactive technologies can make health information easier to understand, support preventive behaviors and help patients become more active participants in their own health. Artificial intelligence and personalized digital tools may expand these possibilities further.
However, in healthcare, novelty cannot be the objective. Adoption must be guided by evidence, clinical value, privacy, ethics and appropriate regulation. We also need to understand whether a technology works effectively outside a controlled environment and whether it genuinely improves the patient experience or health outcomes.
When those conditions are met, I believe technology can play an important role not only in delivering healthcare, but also in strengthening communication and trust between people and their healthcare systems.
Looking Beyond RGMBS 2026
LA Times Studios: Looking beyond the 2026 summit, what are the key benchmarks or outcomes Al-Knawy hopes to achieve to establish Riyadh as a primary global hub for medical biotechnology?
H.E. Dr. Bandar Al-Knawy: A global biotechnology hub cannot be defined by a single event. It is defined by what continues after the event.
For RGMBS, success means seeing conversations become research collaborations, investment, technology transfer, clinical programs and long-term international partnerships. The summit is designed around this principle, combining an international scientific program with the Life Sciences Innovation Forum, bilateral meetings, investment sessions, Next Generation Biotechnologist Forum activities and opportunities for researchers, companies and investors to engage directly.
At the national level, our ambitions align with the National Biotechnology Strategy and its goal of positioning Saudi Arabia as a leading biotechnology hub regionally and internationally.
Ultimately, the most meaningful benchmarks are impact. Are we developing scientific talent? Are we translating research into solutions?
Are international companies conducting research and developing technologies with Saudi institutions? Are we building sustainable biotechnology and manufacturing capabilities?
And most importantly, are these advances improving health and patient outcomes?
RGMBS is one platform for accelerating that progress. Our ambition is for Riyadh to become a place where biotechnology is not only discussed, but where science is translated, partnerships are formed and new solutions move closer to patients.
Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology push and its research gap still exist side by side. What is settled is the scale of the government’s commitment: a named strategy, a funded partnership and a summit built to produce more of both. What is not yet settled is whether the country’s lab supply chain and specialist workforce can grow to match it.
References
[1] Saudi Vision 2030. (n.d.). National Biotechnology Strategy. https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/explore/explore-more/national-biotechnology-strategy
[2] King Abdullah International Medical Research Center. (2025, November 19). King Abdullah International Medical Research Center and Flagship Pioneering announce strategic partnership to expand clinical research of novel medicines in Saudi Arabia [Press release]. PR Newswire. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/king-abdullah-international-medical-research-center-and-flagship-pioneering-announce-strategic-partnership-to-expand-clinical-research-of-novel-medicines-in-saudi-arabia-302620696.html
[3] Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit. (2026). RGMBS 2026 [Event page]. BioSpace. https://www.biospace.com/events/riyadh-global-medical-biotechnology-summit-rgmbs-2026
[4] Alyaemni, A., & Alghamdi, N. (2025). Progress and market development of biotechnology in Saudi Arabia: A survey. Galen Medical Journal, 14, e3964. https://doi.org/10.31661/gmj.vi.3964
[5] GlobeNewswire. (2026, August 27). The world’s leading minds in biotechnology will meet in Riyadh this September [Press release]. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/08/27/3352300/0/en/the-world-s-leading-minds-in-biotechnology-will-meet-in-riyadh-this-september.html
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