Dr. Ali El-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority, received a high-level official Saudi delegation headed by Prof. Dr. Hisham Al-Jadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, in the presence of Dr. Tarek El-Houby, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, in a visit aimed at expanding areas of technical and regulatory cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector, and exchanging expertise to enhance regulatory and industrial integration between the two brotherly countries.
This visit comes at a highly important time, reflecting the keenness of the leaderships in Egypt and Saudi Arabia to support institutional partnerships that serve Arab health security and solidify the leadership of both countries in the pharmaceutical sector at the regional level.
During his speech, Dr. Ali El-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority, welcomed Prof. Dr. Hisham Al-Jadhey and the accompanying delegation, expressing his great happiness and welcome to the brothers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said: “We highly appreciate your presence today, and your visit reflects the cooperation and partnership that unite us to achieve common goals and interests, aimed at serving our honorable peoples.”
He explained that the Egyptian-Saudi relations throughout history are an integrated strategic partnership, encompassing political, economic, and cultural dimensions, and are translated into a shared vision for achieving sustainable development and improving the standard of living for our two noble peoples.
As for the pharmaceutical sector, one of the most vital and strategic sectors, Dr. El-Ghamrawy affirmed that the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lead the scene within the Arab nation and the Middle East region; the Kingdom and Egypt alternate between the first and second places in terms of market value and the number of units sold. This places on us a doubled responsibility towards our peoples and the peoples of the region, especially in light of global health challenges.
He continued: “From this standpoint, we believe that strengthening cooperation between the drug authorities in our two countries represents the cornerstone for achieving Arab integration in the pharmaceutical field, in both manufacturing and regulation. As strategic partners, we possess the capability to meet the needs of our markets and enhance our pharmaceutical security, especially as the Egyptian and Saudi markets are among the largest importers of pharmaceutical raw materials in the Middle East and Africa.”
He praised Egypt’s strong industrial base in the pharmaceutical sector, which includes more than 179 pharmaceutical factories, 11 of which are internationally accredited, in addition to 150 factories for medical devices, 5 specialized factories for raw materials, 4 specialized factories for biological preparations, and more than 986 drug production lines. He also noted that the efforts of the Egyptian state in recent years have contributed to strengthening our technical and production capabilities, enabling us to achieve a self-sufficiency rate estimated at 91% of the local market's needs, in addition to exporting to 147 countries around the world.
He concluded his speech by saying: “I would like to emphasize that the relations between our two brotherly countries go beyond the traditional frameworks of economic cooperation, to embody strong bonds of brotherhood and a unified vision toward a better future. Our meeting today is a real opportunity to draw a joint roadmap with clear plans and a specific timeframe that reflects the aspirations of our leaderships and meets our citizens’ hopes for effective and sustainable pharmaceutical integration.”
For his part, Prof. Dr. Hisham Al-Jadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, delivered a speech in which he expressed his happiness with this constructive meeting, noting that cooperation with the Egyptian Drug Authority represents a leading model for Arab integration in the regulatory field. He emphasized the importance of unifying efforts to enhance the capabilities of regulatory authorities and support the quality and safety of pharmaceutical preparations in the region.
The meeting also discussed the formation of a joint working group between the two authorities to put this roadmap into action through flexible coordination mechanisms and regular follow-up, ensuring the transformation of visions into tangible reality that advances Egyptian-Saudi cooperation in this vital sector to new horizons.
Also discussed was the proposed memorandum of understanding between the two authorities and the formation of a joint working group to complete the path of industrial integration between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This includes discussing the approved technical and regulatory standards and specifications for medical and pharmaceutical products in both countries, exploring the possibility of developing joint early warning tools, organizing mutual training workshops between the two authorities to enhance capacity building and knowledge exchange in a way that serves mutual interests, and appointing an official point of contact from both sides to facilitate coordination and continuous follow-up.
From the Egyptian Drug Authority, the delegation were Dr. Tamer El-Hossieny, Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority, Dr. Mohamed El-Demerdash, Deputy of the State Council and Legal Advisor to the Authority; Dr. Amany Gawdat, Associate Chairman and Supervisor of the Central Administration of the Chairman’s Office; Dr. Hanan Amin, Head of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Products; and Dr. Asmaa Fouad, Head of the Central Administration for Biological, Innovative Products and Clinical Studies, Dr. Amira Mahgoub, Head of the Central Administration for Operations; Dr. Osama Hatem, Associate Chairman for Policies and International Cooperation and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Market Policies and Market Access and Dr. Dalia Abu Hussein, General Manager of the General Administration of Quality Assurance.
From the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the delegation included Ms. Alaa bint Fouad Sindi, Assistant CEO for Executive Affairs; Dr. Mohammed bin Ali Dahhas, Assistant Vice President for Branches and Inspection; Mr. Abdulaziz bin Sulaiman, Head of the International Operations Department; Mr. Faisal bin Mohammed Al-Muhaidif, Senior Regulatory Affairs Expert, Ms. Taghrid bint Ali Al-Humaidi, Legal Research Expert in International Law; Mr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Askar, Director of the Partnerships Department; and Mr. Saad bin Mansour Al-Qahtani, Senior Protocol Expert.