Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals; Witnessing Strong Growth Due to Rapid Reforms by the Government and Multinational Companies

Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals include medicinal products sold as prescription/patented drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in hospitals and retail pharmacies for various ailments. These drugs are used to treat people suffering from cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolic, hematology, ophthalmology, dermatology, respiratory, urogenital, oncology, musculoskeletal, and other disorders. Patented drugs are available as branded drugs while generic drugs include both branded and non-branded generics.

In Saudi Arabia, the pharmaceutical industry is witnessing tremendous growth and has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. It is also one of the fastest growing regions worldwide in terms of revenue generation, productivity, and employment. The pharmaceutical manufacturing sector has emerged as a significant part of its overall growth and development agenda. This has led to the establishment of numerous research and development centers at major academic and medical institutions throughout the country.

Thus, Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals are shaping new and improved concepts and strategies to manufacture high quality medicines for various chronic and critical diseases. Most of the pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are small and medium-sized, but majority of these units are now incorporating advanced technologies to ensure the highest level of production output from the limited resources available. At the same time, there is a marked improvement in the overall production efficiency, productivity, and profit margins of these industries.

Saudi Arabia has more than 40 registered pharmaceutical factories, covering 36% of the local market need for medicines, said Mohammed Al-Nahhas, chairman of Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances Corporation (SPIMACO). The U.S., European, and Indian companies have already established production facilities, producing a full range of products including antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, diabetic treatments, and anticoagulants, as well as vaccines, biologics, injectables, and APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients).

United States-based pharma companies, such as Pfizer, Sanofi, Novartis, GSK, Novo Nordisk, MSD, and AstraZeneca, are doing business in Saudi Arabia and generating billions through Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market. Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision and NTP have placed the Industrial Clusters as the lead government entities to develop five industrial sectors including the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.