Global Health Exhibition 2025 opens with deals worth more than $33 billion

Global Health Exhibition (GHE) officially opened its doors in Riyadh, marking the launch of its 8th edition. H.E. Fahad bin Abdulrahman Aljalajel, Minister of Health for Saudi Arabia, announced that Global Health Exhibition 2025 is set to host agreements of more than $33 billion USD, showcasing Saudi Arabia as a global leader in the healthcare sector.

Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Health, supported by Vision 2030 and the Health Sector Transformation Program, and organised by Tahaluf - GHE, is Saudi Arabia's flagship platform for healthcare transformation.

Opening address from Saudi Arabia's Minister of Health
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to lead global health transformation through strategic investments, innovation, and international collaboration. The event was honoured with a virtual address from HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States.

In his keynote address, H.E. Fahad bin Abdulrahman Aljalajel, Minister of Health for Saudi Arabia, highlighted the Kingdom's transformative progress in healthcare, driven by Vision 2030. "Saudi Vision 2030 has given us a wide space to change the health landscape. We have moved from treatment after illness, to prevention before illness, and from investing in pain to investing in hope."

H.E. Fahad bin Abdulrahman Aljalajel announced that Saudi Arabia is close to achieving its vision goal of an average life expectancy of 79.7 years, up from 74 in 2016, with five years added to the lives of Saudi citizens through targeted interventions. These include early screening for nearly 3 million newborns and 6 million couples, and a 38% reduction in deaths from chronic diseases. The opening remarks also noted a more than 50% drop in traffic accident fatalities and that 70% of detected cancer cases are now identified in early stages. H.E. Fahad bin Abdulrahman Aljalajel recognised the transformation as part of a period of transformation for Saudi Arabia, stating: "This is Vision 2030, this is our health transformation, this is the single government approach."

Looking ahead, His Excellency unveiled a series of new announcements and partnerships, showcasing Global Health Exhibition as a leading platform for investment, collaboration, and progress.

Hospital and infrastructure announcements

A landmark $8.4 billion USD investment was unveiled to accelerate the development of hospitals and healthcare infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, marking a major step forward in the nation's health transformation journey. Hayat National Hospitals will expand to 15 facilities with over 4,000 beds through a $1.86 billion USD investment. Akdital Group, Morocco's leading private healthcare group, announced a strategic expansion into the Saudi Arabian market with an investment of $1.41 billion USD, while Mouwasat is investing $1.33 billion USD to grow its footprint across key cities, including Jeddah, Yanbu, Abha, and Khobar.

Alrajhi Medicine is committing over $1 billion USD to establish new specialty healthcare centres. Burjeel Holdings will invest just under $1 billion USD in a range of healthcare specialties by 2030. IMC is dedicating $800 million USD to expand holistic treatment and medical education in Makkah, Thuwal, and Obhur. SMC Healthcare is also investing $800 million USD in advanced hospitals and primary health clinics.

Life Sciences Investment announcements

In the life sciences sector, more than $625 million USD investment was announced, including BD, which committed $266 million USD to localise medical technologies and deliver clinical training. Lifera announced several strategic partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies, including partnerships with Sanofi to localise vaccine manufacturing, MSD to evaluate vaccine production capabilities, Pfizer to explore biopharmaceutical localisation, and Jamjoom Pharma to collaborate on vaccine manufacturing.

VC and Investment Announcements

Saudi Arabia's healthcare investment ecosystem is gaining significant momentum, with over $3.24 billion USD committed to venture capital and strategic funds to accelerate innovation and localisation. Hillhouse leads with a $1.49 billion USD investment to support pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D. Al Fozan Holding is investing $675 million USD to develop next-generation clinical infrastructure. TMV Capital Healthcare and Baraya are expanding their network of rehabilitation hospitals and long-term care facilities with $405 million USD.

Esnad Financial Company and SEHA Capital are launching a $266 million USD sukuk programme to bridge financial gaps in healthcare and biotech. GKSD Investment Holding is also committing $266 million USD to transform patient care across the Kingdom. Goldtrack Ventures is establishing Saudi Arabia's first industrial biotechnology growth fund with $250 million USD.

Rachel Sturgess, Senior Vice President at Tahaluf said "The scale of investment announced at Global Health Exhibition reflects Saudi Arabia's ambition and commitment to transforming healthcare, through infrastructure and technology, and by fostering meaningful partnerships that deliver lasting impact."

This year's exhibition features the strongest line-up of global healthcare giants to date, including GE, Siemens Healthineers, Fujifilm, Johnson & Johnson, GSK, Samsung, Danaher, Karl Storz and Stryker. Saudi Arabia's leading healthcare organisations will also be present, including Health Holding, NUPCO, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Dallah Health, HAYAT National Hospitals, Lean, STC, and Diamond Partners, including Tawuniya and WuXi AppTec.

Also announced during the opening ceremony were several substantial strategic partnerships across Saudi Arabia's healthcare and life sciences sectors. These included new digital health initiatives from HUMAIN, Lean, and Google Cloud and AI-powered wellness tools. In addition, major investments in research and development and startup innovation were announced - underscoring Saudi Arabia's accelerating progress in building a world-class health ecosystem.