Riyadh: Vice President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) for the Health Sector Dr. Batoul Al-Baz affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is moving toward transforming its ambitions in biotechnology into sustainable national capabilities, guided by the National Biotechnology Strategy launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. This initiative supports the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 in enhancing human health and the national economy.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Dr. Al-Baz made these remarks during her participation in the 2026 Riyadh Global Summit for Medical Biotechnology, held from September 14 to 16 and organized by the Ministry of National Guard's Health Affairs in partnership with the Ministry of Investment. She explained that the National Biotechnology Strategy aims to position the Kingdom as a leading biotechnology hub in the Middle East and North Africa by 2030, and a global hub by 2040. This strategy is expected to contribute SAR130 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2040, accounting for approximately 3%, and to create 11,000 jobs by 2030, increasing to 55,000 jobs by 2040.
Dr. Al-Baz noted that the strategy focuses on achieving self-sufficiency and generating social and economic impacts by concentrating on four priority areas: vaccines, biomanufacturing and localization, genomics, and improving plant cultivation. She highlighted that KACST's Health Sector, with its team of 139 researchers, has made significant progress since 2023. They have completed 45 research projects, produced 216 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and secured 10 granted patents along with seven registered patents. The sector also maintains seven strategic partnerships across fields such as genomics, precision medicine, vaccine development, biomanufacturing, stem cells and regenerative medicine, and molecular diagnostics.
Dr. Al-Baz emphasized that KACST is a national pillar in biotechnology, building collective capabilities and developing programs that translate research and development into tangible impacts on human health and the national economy. On the sidelines of the 2026 Riyadh Global Summit for Medical Biotechnology, KACST launched 'Salem,' an open-source tool designed to verify interactions between medicines, foods, and herbs. Additionally, KACST entered into a strategic partnership with Al-Khaliah Al-Afdal for Research and Studies (Cellbae) to localize, develop, and produce highly sensitive lateral flow tests for rapid disease detection.
