Saudi Arabia's biotech momentum: inside RGMBS 2026

Saudi Arabia has spent the last four years building one of the most ambitious biotech gatherings in the region: the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit. This September, the fourth edition brought together delegations from more than 57 countries and over 200 speakers, closing with more than 40 agreements and initiatives worth over SAR5 billion. From gene editing and genomics to AI-driven drug discovery and biomanufacturing, the Summit is positioning itself as a serious node in the global biotech map — and it's timed deliberately, arriving just weeks before BIO-Europe in Cologne. To unpack what happened in Riyadh, what it means for Saudi Arabia's biotech ambitions, and how the Summit connects to the conversations happening at BIO-Europe, I'm joined by Abdulaziz Aldayel, a nanomedicine researcher at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center.  01:20 – Meet Abdulaziz Aldayel 07:21 – What RGMBS has set out to achieve since 2021 11:44 – RGMBS dealmaking jumps to $1.3 billion 21:17 – How RGMBS and BIO-Europe complement each other 28:14 – What to expect at the next RGMBS This episode is presented with the support of RGMBS. Interested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here!  Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter To dive deeper into the topic:  Genomes to bioreactors: Saudi Arabia’s gene editing oncology push Saudi Arabia: is the country set to become a global biotech hub? Saudi Arabia to inject $3B into vaccines and medicines industry