Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

Saudi Arabia's biotech momentum: inside RGMBS 2026

• Labiotech • Episode 218

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0:00 | 34:23

Saudi Arabia has spent the last four years building one of the most ambitious biotech gatherings in the region: the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit. This September, the fourth edition brought together delegations from more than 57 countries and over 200 speakers, closing with more than 40 agreements and initiatives worth over SAR5 billion. From gene editing and genomics to AI-driven drug discovery and biomanufacturing, the Summit is positioning itself as a serious node in the global biotech map — and it's timed deliberately, arriving just weeks before BIO-Europe in Cologne.

To unpack what happened in Riyadh, what it means for Saudi Arabia's biotech ambitions, and how the Summit connects to the conversations happening at BIO-Europe, I'm joined by Abdulaziz Aldayel, a nanomedicine researcher at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center. 

  • 01:20 – Meet Abdulaziz Aldayel
  • 07:21 – What RGMBS has set out to achieve since 2021
  • 11:44 – RGMBS dealmaking jumps to $1.3 billion
  • 21:17 – How RGMBS and BIO-Europe complement each other
  • 28:14 – What to expect at the next RGMBS

This episode is presented with the support of RGMBS. Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! 

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