Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Drives Global Leadership in Advanced Therapies: Dr Majid Alfayyadh
At the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit, Dr. Majid Alfayyadh, CEO of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), underscored how Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is shaping a new global standard for innovation-led healthcare.
He said the Kingdom’s transformation is not only modernizing its health system but also propelling it to the forefront of advanced therapies such as gene and cell treatments.
Speaking at the panel “New Frameworks for Agile Innovation of Gene Editing Therapies,” Dr. Alfayyadh emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s strides in genomic medicine embody its commitment to sustainable innovation and medical self-reliance.
He cited KFSHRC’s pioneering CAR-T cell therapy—developed locally—which achieved full remission in advanced cancer patients while cutting treatment costs by 80 percent. This, he said, showcases how localized biomanufacturing can dramatically enhance access and affordability across the region.
He credited Saudi Arabia’s robust regulatory ecosystem, led by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, for enabling rapid clinical approvals and harmonizing national standards with global norms. Today, KFSHRC leads nearly half of all active clinical studies in the Kingdom, translating research excellence into real-world medical impact.
Dr. Alfayyadh also revealed that KFSHRC is set to launch its own biomanufacturing facility, designed to meet 9 percent of the national demand for cell and gene therapies and generate approximately USD 2 billion in healthcare savings by 2030. He said the initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s strategic push toward localization, advanced research, and global biotechnology partnerships.
Concluding his address, Dr. Alfayyadh noted that Saudi Arabia’s leadership in biotechnology stems from a unified national vision, a strong regulatory framework, and the development of Saudi scientific talent driving the next era of healthcare innovation.
KFSHRC’s global standing continues to rise—ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and fifteenth worldwide among the top 250 academic medical centers for 2025. It has also been recognized by Brand Finance as the region’s most valuable healthcare brand and by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and Best Specialized Hospitals 2026—cementing its position as a pioneer in innovation-driven healthcare.
