About the Chair

The initiative to establish the Muhammad Saeed Tamer Chair for Pharmaceutical Industries aims to support the Kingdom's readiness to confront epidemic diseases, especially during the Hajj and Umrah seasons. It also seeks to create an environment conducive to innovation, attract both local and international pharmaceutical companies, and facilitate the exchange of expertise. This involves coordinating with various government agencies and pharmaceutical companies to enhance drug research and local pharmaceutical product manufacturing.
As a strategic goal, the Muhammad bin Saeed Tamer Chair initiative aims to increase the contribution of local pharmaceutical manufacturing to the total market value of the pharmaceutical sector. Additionally, it intends to create competitive opportunities for the private sector in the pharmaceutical industry, thereby contributing to the Kingdom's development. This initiative aims to make the Kingdom an attractive destination for international pharmaceutical companies to invest in and share their expertise.
It is worth noting that Saudi pharmaceutical products are on the verge of a major industrial revolution as part of the National Transformation Program initiative. The goal is to increase the pharmaceutical industry's market share to 40 percent, doubling the target size outlined in the 2030 plan, and to increase the pharmaceutical industry sector's contribution to the non-oil GDP from 0.98 percent to 1.97 percent. This step will also attract foreign capital for local investment and enhance the Kingdom's pharmaceutical security.
The Saudi pharmaceutical market constitutes about 30% of the total Arab pharmaceutical market, indicating substantial opportunities for localizing pharmaceutical industries, diversifying the economy, and achieving pharmaceutical security. Prioritizing the localization of serum products is essential due to their utmost importance.
Economically, supporting and developing the pharmaceutical industry will contribute to diversifying local industries, reducing imports that consume a significant portion of foreign payments, creating job opportunities, and aligning with the goals of the National Vision 2030. Supporting pharmaceutical research and manufacturing is expected to keep approximately 20 billion riyals within the Saudi economy, which is the annual expenditure on imported medicines.
Strategically, supporting and developing the local pharmaceutical industry will enhance pharmaceutical security, which is of paramount importance, especially in light of the growing concern about biological weapons in global conflicts. During crises, importing medicines may become impossible, necessitating the capability to produce medicine locally, meet the demand, and address any sudden interruptions in the supply of imported medicines.