SAUDI ARABIA— Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has announced the National Biotechnology Strategy, which represents a critical milestone in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to play a major role in regional and global biotechnology.

This comprehensive plan intends to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a leader in this critical area.

Through the effective implementation of this policy, the Kingdom hopes to build a leading biotechnology hub that promotes innovation, job creation, and economic growth, thereby facilitating economic diversification.

The strategy’s goal is to contribute 3%, or SR130 billion (US$34.664 billion), to non-oil GDP and create countless high-quality opportunities and jobs by 2040.

This initiative is consistent with Vision 2030 and serves as a significant driver for improving national health resilience and stimulating growth in the rapidly increasing biotechnology sector.

The strategy is deliberately designed to solve problems while capitalizing on opportunities, creating a road map for Saudi Arabia to become a worldwide biotechnology leader by 2040.

It focuses on enhancing Saudi people’s health and well-being, driving economic growth, creating skilled job opportunities, and attracting investment for new industries, all while promoting environmental sustainability and contributing to Vision 2030.

With the ambitious goal of becoming the MENA region’s biotechnology leader by 2030 and a major international biotechnology hub by 2040, the National Biotechnology Strategy builds on the Kingdom’s existing strengths, such as access to strong capital, a large market, government commitment, and a unique gene pool.

The strategy is based on four key pillars: vaccinations, biomanufacturing and localization, genomics, and plant optimization.

Saudi Arabia emphasizes the importance of vaccines and is committed to researching novel vaccine technologies.

The strategy’s goal is to increase the Kingdom’s self-sufficiency and ensure that its residents have timely access to immunizations.

Localization and bio-manufacturing are key components of the strategy, which aims to establish Saudi Arabia as the leading biotechnology hub in the MENA region.

Developing advanced biopharma manufacturing capabilities and establishing a cutting-edge local end-to-end bio-manufacturing platform are critical steps toward ensuring the availability of life-saving treatments, strengthening the domestic biotechnology industry, and cementing the Kingdom’s position as a major player in the global biotechnology landscape.

Saudi Arabia sees genomics as a disruptive area and the next frontier of medicine, and intends to be the dominant genomics player in MENA, driving innovation and improving health outcomes.

The method also contributes to food security and long-term agricultural productivity through plant optimization, with the goal of reducing dependency on food imports while increasing domestic production.

To support the development of a mature and effective biotechnology ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, a number of projects will address talent, legislation, funding, and infrastructure constraints in a methodical manner.

With a strong pipeline of projects and initiatives, the plan is prepared to drive the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology sector by 2030, uniting activities across the ecosystem, producing high-quality jobs, and presenting attractive prospects for investors and biotechnology talent.

For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.