Some of the top recent stories from pharma and healthcare in the Middle East and Africa, including Saudi Arabia’s pharma pitch to US investors, a new fund to bring forward Saudi biotechs, Egypt’s collaboration with Turkey on pharma manufacturing, and China’s ‘health silk road’ in Africa.
Saudi Arabia urges US healthcare leaders to invest in its $70bn sector, highlighting opportunities in $11.5bn pharma market and $6.5bn medical device industry
Saudi Arabia has called on leading US healthcare companies to expand their presence in the Kingdom’s fast-growing pharmaceutical, vaccine and medical device sectors, using the 2025 US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, DC as a platform to deepen bilateral industrial cooperation.
Saudi Arabia’s biotech ambitions take shape with $50m fund (BioXconomy)
Riyadh-based IB Ventures has launched with a $50 million fund intended to invest in biotechs across Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, the investment fund will be allocated towards companies focused on “therapeutics, diagnostics, digital biology, and manufacturing.”
At BIO-Europe in Vienna, Austria, Yazeed Alsufyani, general partner and CEO of IB Ventures, told the audience he founded IB Ventures “to connect the dots between infrastructure, capital, and policy.”
Egypt seeks expanded collaboration with Türkiye in pharma manufacturing (Turkiye Today)
Egypt and Türkiye moved to deepen cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology, and broader health-sector development as senior officials from both countries met in Ankara this week.
The officials discussed plans for expanded industrial collaboration and the exchange of technological expertise. They noted that Egypt represents a promising regional market, while the Turkish side expressed interest in expanding industrial cooperation and transferring technological expertise, according to a statement by the Egyptian Health Ministry.
China is advancing its “health silk road” in Africa by initiating major offshore projects to manufacture essential medicines, such as insulin and antiretrovirals.
Nigeria is set to produce Chinese-made insulin, while in the Ivory Coast further west, Chinese giant Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical is on track to complete the first part of its three-phase €50 million (US$58 million) facility by the end of the year. The facility near Abidjan, the country’s biggest city, will manufacture antimalarial and antibacterial drugs.
Collaboration Across Africa is Key to Increasing Clinical Trials (Health Policy Watch)
The African continent only accounts for 4% of clinical trials globally, jeopardizing the development of new medicines, and demonstrating the chronic underinvestment in the continent’s healthcare ecosystem.
In Kenya, toxicologists and epidemiologists face a difficult choice: to pursue better-paid work to support their families, or volunteer as reviewers for vaccine clinical trials, often without the compensation needed to cover even their children’s school fees.
Their dilemma underscores a broader challenge in Africa’s clinical research ecosystem. Slow, duplicative approval processes and limited regulatory capacity continue to deter sponsors from bringing trials to the continent. The continent accounts for 25% of the global disease burden, but just 4% of clinical trials.
SOHAR lands USD 20m pharma manufacturing investment (Logistics Middle East)
SOHAR Freezone welcomes a pharmaceutical facility bringing advanced production capabilities to Oman
A $20 million pharmaceutical and medical supplies manufacturing facility will be set up in SOHAR Freezone under a new land lease agreement signed with Pharma Investment Group (FZC) LLC, a joint venture between Omani investors and Algeria’s Spa IMGSA Group. The project spans 40,000 square metres, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027.
Africa’s pharma cargo boom faces capacity crunch (Freight News)
Africa’s pharmaceutical air cargo sector is entering a period of rapid expansion, driven by rising healthcare needs, increased clinical trial activity and growing investment. However, industry experts warn that the continent remains severely underserved, with cold chain capacity and regulatory frameworks failing to keep pace with rising demand.
According to IATA’s October 2025 Air Cargo Market Analysis, African airlines recorded a 16.6% year-on-year increase in overall air-cargo demand – the strongest growth of any global region.
