Saudi Arabia-China forge stronger ties in health and technology

CHINA—Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health, Fahad Al-Jalajel, has visited Shenzhen to meet with Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) Minister Lei Haichao, with the goal of strengthening connections in healthcare and technology and promoting Saudi-Chinese cooperation.

Several major agreements were signed during the visit to improve Saudi Arabia’s healthcare capabilities and further its Vision 2030 ambitions. 

The visit resulted in the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Saudi National Unified Procurement enterprise (NUPCO) and China’s leading healthcare enterprise, BGI Group.

These agreements aim to encourage collaboration in the health industry and improve the Kingdom’s healthcare infrastructure. 

The first MoU uses BGI Group’s expertise to improve Saudi Arabia’s healthcare services. 

These  include efforts to localise population health assurance services, improve preventative healthcare measures, and seek collaborations to optimise the health supply chain.

The second MoU centers on developing integrated logistics solutions for handling biological samples, which will improve efficiency and strengthen healthcare infrastructure across the Kingdom. 

Minister Al-Jalajel emphasized that these partnerships align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and its Health Sector Transformation Program.

He highlighted the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global leader in digital health and innovation, while also addressing global health challenges and enhancing healthcare services for its citizens. 

During his visit to Shenzhen, the minister also toured Huawei’s headquarters, where he explored the company’s advanced technologies and discussed ways to integrate them into Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system.

The visit culminated in the signing of two additional MoUs—one between the Saudi Health Holding Company and Huawei, and another between NUPCO and Huawei.

These agreements aim to harness cutting-edge technology to drive innovation in the health sector. 

Al-Jalajel stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing healthcare services.

He noted that leveraging technology and collaborating with international partners like Huawei and BGI Group will help elevate Saudi Arabia’s health sector’s competitiveness to meet global standards. 

The minister also highlighted the value of Saudi-Chinese collaboration in innovation and technology, describing it as a cornerstone for sustainable development and a shared commitment to achieving mutual goals.

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