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BOSTON, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saudi Arabia officially opened its national pavilion today at the BIO International Convention 2025, marking a milestone moment in its journey to become a global biotechnology hub. The opening - Saudi Arabia's debut national presence at the world's largest biotechnology convention - reflects the Kingdom's bold commitment to scientific advancement, international collaboration, and innovation-driven healthcare transformation.
The inauguration, which was attended by senior Saudi officials and invited guests, featured the launch of a broad set of partnership agreements with global biotech and healthcare leaders. These agreements reflect a unified message: Saudi Arabia is building a globally connected, innovation-ready ecosystem - and is ready to partner across the international biotech value chain.
With more than 25 participating Saudi healthcare institutions and over 160 delegates, the Kingdom's presence at BIO 2025 is one of the event's largest. The Saudi Pavilion will host a curated program of high-level engagements, including a flagship Super Session, spotlight discussions on upcoming projects and partnership opportunities, and a series of strategic MoU signings.
In remarks delivered during the opening, His Excellency Eng. Abdulaziz Alrumaih, Vice Minister of Health for Planning & Development - and Head of the Saudi Delegation, stated:
"Today is more than an opening - it is a statement of intent. Saudi Arabia is here not just to observe but to lead. We are investing in our future, partnering with the world's best, and creating a biotech ecosystem where collaboration turns into innovation, and innovation into impact.”
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Saudi Arabia's National Biotechnology Strategy - driven under the leadership of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister - is transforming the Kingdom into a destination for discovery, development, and delivery. From regulation to research, infrastructure to investment, Saudi Arabia is ready to help shape the future of life sciences.
About the MoUs: Advancing Collaboration Across the Biotech Value Chain
As part of its opening activities at BIO 2025, Saudi Arabia signed over a dozen high-impact Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between its leading health institutions and international biotechnology and healthcare organizations. These partnerships span the full spectrum of the global life sciences landscape: from early-stage startups to multinational leaders, and across domains including therapeutics, diagnostics, clinical research, and digital health. Together, they reflect a shared commitment to accelerate scientific discovery, enable clinical trials, strengthen technology transfer, and localize advanced biotech solutions within the Kingdom.
MoUs signed by the Health Holding Company include collaborations with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, and Illumina, focused on precision medicine, genetic diagnostics, and cutting-edge therapeutic development. The MoUs solidify these companies' presence in the Kingdom, bringing innovation and therapies to the region - and leveraging the Kingdom's infrastructure and investments in healthcare to provide a platform for future growth.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) signed a partnership with Germfree to localize cleanroom and laboratory manufacturing, while King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) formalized a collaboration with Illumina in genomics research.
Saudi biotech startup Novo Genomics signed two major agreements: one with Tracer Biotechnologies to localize ctDNA monitoring technologies, and another with Avigena Biosciences to adapt polygenic risk scoring models for diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and diabetes using local genomic data.
KaRama Bio, another Saudi-founded startup, inked MoUs with DigiBiomics Co. and BioAro Inc. to advance exposomics-driven diagnostics and support clinical trial infrastructure.
Additional signings include a partnership between United Medical Group and Bioskills of the North East to establish a joint venture in training and medical simulation, and a strategic collaboration between SmartHealth and MPR to expand clinical research services in the Kingdom.
Collectively, these MoUs are a powerful signal of Saudi Arabia's readiness to collaborate with global leaders in advancing science, accelerating innovation, and shaping the future of biotech together.
About Saudi Biotech
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proud to debut its first-ever national pavilion at BIO International, being held in Boston June 16-19, 2025. Rooted in Vision 2030, this initiative showcases a fully integrated life sciences ecosystem - combining a future-ready lifestyle, world-class research institutions, streamlined regulation, and digital infrastructure built for speed, scale, and scientific impact. The Kingdom offers a seamless environment for biotech innovation with fast-track clinical trial approvals, robust regulatory alignment via its ML4-designated Food and Drug Authority, and nationwide digital platforms like NPHIES and the world's largest Virtual Hospital.
Saudi Biotech brings together the Kingdom's leading health and science entities, including the Ministry of Health, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Saudi National Institute of Health, Public Health Authority, and the Saudi Health Council, all of whom play vital roles in enabling a regulatory environment that supports clinical innovation. It also features institutions powering translational research and IP protection, such as the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center. Funding and investment facilitators are also present, including the Ministry of Investment, Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, and the Saudi Business Center, alongside localization powerhouses like Lifera, Lean, and the Public Investment Fund. Visitors can explore how talent and livability are central to the Kingdom's strategy through participation from the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and the Premium Residency Center. Finally, NEOM showcases the Kingdom's most ambitious vision - a purpose-built frontier for biotech, precision medicine, and future health.
The Saudi Pavilion is located at Booth #3265 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. To explore the full Pavilion experience and meet the partners driving this transformation, visit https://www.saudi-biotech.com/.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef58b712-cc0b-4e34-ad2c-e6b4f77679b8
