KFSHRC Launches the First Facility for Gene and Cell Therapy Manufacturing in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre said it will open Saudi Arabia’s first facility for manufacturing genetic and cellular therapies by late 2025, a project designed to give thousands of patients access to advanced treatments at home, reduce the cost of care by an estimated eight billion riyals — about two billion dollars — by 2030, and meet roughly nine percent of the nation’s demand for such therapies.

The new plant, located on the hospital’s Riyadh campus, will produce CAR T-cell and stem-cell therapies, treatments that re-engineer a patient’s own cells to fight cancer or repair damaged tissue. Spanning more than 5,000 square meters, the facility is designed around 16 modular clean-room clusters that can expand or adapt as new therapeutic technologies evolve.

Officials said the complex marks a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology ambitions, bringing precision medicine and advanced manufacturing together. Once fully operational, it is expected to manufacture about 2,400 treatment doses each year, advancing the country’s capacity to produce some of the world’s most sophisticated therapies.

The facility will operate under Good Manufacturing Practice standards, the global framework that governs pharmaceutical production. Each process, from air filtration to batch testing, will be monitored to ensure sterility, safety, and consistency. Artificial-intelligence systems will manage quality control, while the modular layout allows rapid scaling as innovation grows.

KFSHRC already has experience in the field. More than 200 patients have received CAR T-cell therapy there since 2020, years before local manufacturing began. The new site builds on that clinical record while advancing a broader research and training ecosystem aimed at preparing Saudi scientists and attracting global experts in gene and cell therapy. Officials said the goal is to make the kingdom not only a center for treatment but also for drug discovery and manufacturing.

At this year’s Global Health Exhibition 2025 in Riyadh, the hospital is showcasing the new manufacturing complex alongside its advances in robotic surgery, genetic diagnostics, and augmented-reality medical training. The presentation highlights how the country’s flagship hospital is aligning with broader national efforts to shift from healthcare consumption to healthcare creation.

KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and fifteenth globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for 2025. It was also recognized by Brand Finance 2025 as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Middle East and listed in Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and Best Specialized Hospitals 2026, reaffirming its position as a global leader in innovation-driven patient care.

For more information, visit www.kfshrc.edu.sa or contact our media team at mediacoverage@kfshrc.edu.sa

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
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