The Global Health Forum kicked off in Riyadh yesterday with the announcement of projects to the tune of SAR 50 bn (USD 13.3 bn), according to a press release (pdf). Information on the long list of healthcare agreements signed during the conference’s inaugural day is still trickling in as we head to dispatch. The forum is set to conclude tomorrow.
(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background and outside sources.)
A rundown of the agreements:
#1- PIF-backed Nupco inked a SAR 4 bn agreement with French and Danish pharma giants Sanofi and Novo Nordisk to localize the production of insulin and other healthcare essentials.
#2- Sulaiman Al Habib Group will invest upwards of SAR 10 bn to develop and operate healthcare projects, the press release said, without providing further details.
#3- Fakeeh Medical revealed a SAR 5 bn expansion of new and existing hospitals across Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, and Riyadh.
#4- Al Mousa Health Group is looking to invest SAR 3 bn to set up five primary care centers and two hospitals.
#5- Dallah Healthcare is acquiring two hospitals in the Eastern Province and is set to establish a new hospital in Riyadh, at a combined investment of SAR 4 bn. The Al Salam Hospital and Al Ahsa Hospital in the Eastern Province will add 749 beds to Dallah Healthcare’s portfolio, while the new Riyadh hospital will have a capacity of 250 beds, according to a press release.
#6- King Fahad Medical City inked a SAR 3 bn agreement with Boston Oncology to establish a production hub for cancer-treating CAR-T cells, a revolutionary method that helps patients utilize their own immune systems to fight cancer, according to Mubasher:
On the sidelines: A handful of other agreements were signed on the sidelines of the event, according to state news agency SPA. These include a partnership agreement between the Health Ins. Council and Alfaisal University, an MoU between Imam Abdulrahman Alfaisal University and the National Institute for Health Research, and an MoU between the Health Ministry and the Ministerial Committee for Traffic Safety. The Public Health Authority and King Faisal Specialist Hospital also signed a cooperation agreement.
IN OTHER HEALTH NEWS- Three unnamed Canadian healthcare companies are planning to set up regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia at a forum hosted by the Federation of Saudi Chambers that saw participants from 26 Canadian healthcare firms, SPA reported separately.