Saudi Arabia signs MoU with Pfizer, AstraZeneca to promote investment in health sector

In order to promote investment in its health sector, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday signed an agreement with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Apart from these two pharmaceutical giants, the country has also signed an agreement with biotechnology companies, reported Xinhua. According to the news agency, the agreements were signed during the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit 2021. The ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in order to explore opportunities to establish world-class clinical research centres in the kingdom, read the statement released by the Ministry after the mega event. 

"This recent development would also enhance its ambition to provide the best and most innovative pharmaceutical products to patients in the Kingdom." According to the minister of investment, Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, the recent agreement between the Land of the Two Holy Mosques and the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company will further boost their strategic partnership.  Apart from AstraZeneca, the media report said that the country has also signed an MoU with the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs and the Saudi Ministry of Industry.

Recently Saudi Arabia approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

Recently, the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines were added to Saudi Arabia's list of approved vaccines, bringing the total number to six. According to the Saudi Gazette, the Saudi Ministry of Health has approved six vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sinopharm, and Sinovac. According to the ministry, any other vaccines that receive approval will be publicised through the proper channels approved by the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) at an appropriate time.

Two doses of separate vaccines, on the other hand, can be administered because international health studies have shown that they are both safe and efficacious. The second dose should be taken at least three weeks following the first. Saudi Arabia has also relaxed COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated citizens. It is only applicable to people who have a valid residency permit (Iqama) and left the Kingdom on an exit and re-entry visa after receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination from Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Gazette.

Image: AP