Saudi Arabia Opens Its First Gene and Cell Therapy Production Plant

Riyadh

The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) is preparing to open, by the end of the year, Saudi Arabia’s first facility dedicated to the manufacturing of gene and cell therapies. The project aims to provide thousands of patients with local access to cutting-edge treatments, reduce healthcare costs by approximately 8 billion riyals (nearly 2 billion dollars) by 2030, and cover nearly 9% of the national demand for these therapies.

The new site, located on the Riyadh campus, spans 5,000 square meters and will produce CAR-T therapies and stem-cell-based treatments that reprogram a patient’s cells to fight cancer or repair damaged tissues. The facility includes 16 modular cleanroom clusters that can evolve and adapt to emerging therapeutic technologies.

Officials describe the complex as a major milestone for Saudi biotechnology, combining precision medicine with advanced manufacturing. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce around 2,400 treatment doses per year, strengthening the country’s local capacity to manufacture some of the world’s most sophisticated therapies.

Production will comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, ensuring sterility, safety, and process consistency—from air filtration to batch testing. Artificial intelligence systems will oversee quality control, while the facility’s modularity will allow rapid scaling as new innovations emerge.

KFSHRC already has strong clinical experience: more than 200 patients have received CAR-T therapy since 2020, well before local production was established. The new facility will build on this expertise while supporting a research and training ecosystem designed to attract international experts and position the Kingdom as a center for drug discovery and therapeutic manufacturing.

At the 2025 Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh, the hospital showcased the new complex alongside its advances in robotic surgery, genetic diagnostics, and augmented-reality medical training, illustrating Saudi Arabia’s transition from a consumer to a creator of healthcare solutions.

KFSHRC was ranked the top academic medical center in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th worldwide among the 250 best academic hospitals in 2025. It was also recognized by Brand Finance 2025 as the most valuable healthcare brand in the region, and appears in Newsweek’s rankings: World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and Best Specialized Hospitals 2026—confirming its status as a global leader in innovative healthcare.

Caroline Haïat