The Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit 2026 (RGMBS) takes place 14–16 September 2026 at the Sofitel Riyadh Hotel & Convention Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme "Building the Foundations of Biotechnology Excellence".
The Summit is held under the gracious patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and stands as a leading international platform reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to positioning biotechnology as a strategic sector of high developmental and economic value.
Summit overview
RGMBS 2026 advances the objectives of the National Biotechnology Strategy, launched by HRH the Crown Prince in early 2024, to accelerate the localisation of innovation, strengthen sustainability, and enhance the Kingdom's global competitiveness across high-value biotechnology domains and bio-based industries.
Exhibition. A global showcase bringing together government entities, companies, research centres and international institutions presenting the latest scientific and technological innovations. Specialised zones cover medical biotechnology, scientific discovery and startups, creating high-value opportunities for partnerships, investment attraction and international networking.
Conference. A high-impact platform that translates scientific knowledge into implementable solutions, convening industry leaders, decision-makers and investors within an ecosystem that aligns research with funding, regulation with production, and applied validation with commercial-scale biomanufacturing — catalysing strategic partnerships, technology transfer and the localisation of priority industries.
Executive Biotech Sessions. An exclusive forum where biotech leaders, investors and innovators exchange high-level insights and address industry-defining challenges shaping the future of life sciences.
Four foundational pillars
- Governmental strategies and regulatory support — creating an enabling policy environment
- Investment and funding — securing capital for breakthrough innovations
- R&D (pre-clinical and clinical readiness) — building world-class research and manufacturing facilities
- Building capabilities — cultivating local expertise and attracting global leaders
Summit objectives
Align with Vision 2030 by localising priority technologies; position the Kingdom as a worldwide hub for biomedical innovation and research; attract strategic national and international investment; build measurable joint partnerships; catalyse an ecosystem that turns ideas into scalable solutions; strengthen knowledge transfer; expand collaboration with leading global universities and research centres; and empower national talent through specialised training pathways.
Highlighted features
- NextGen Biotech Forum — a specialised platform equipping emerging scientists, researchers and innovators with the knowledge and skills to advance biotechnology, genomics and vaccine innovation
- Life Sciences Innovation Forum — a two-day platform developed with leading regional and international biotech investment funds, bringing investors, innovators, researchers and industry leaders together around the next generation of life sciences breakthroughs
- Bilateral Meetings — structured matchmaking across the biotechnology ecosystem
Partners and sponsors
Key strategic partners: Invest Saudi, Ministry of Investment (MISA), SDAIA.
Hosted by: Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) and King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC).
Strategic partners: Public Investment Fund (PIF), Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) and the Communications, Space & Technology / CUA authorities.
Participation
Registration is open at register.rgmbs.org, and exhibition and sponsorship participation is handled through the official RGMBS enquiry form. Contact: Contact@rgmbs.org · media@rgmbs.org · @rgmbs2026.
Conference agenda — Day 1 (Monday, 14 September 2026)
- 09:00–09:15 Welcome Remarks — Dr. Saad Al Mohrij, Chief Medical Officer, MNGHA
- 09:15–09:35 National Biotech Strategy: Ambitious Vision — Dr. Namer Balilah
- 09:35–10:05 Global Partnerships in Biotech (panel) — Dr. Steve Qing Yang (WuXi AppTec), Prof. Ahmed Alaskar (KAIMRC), Prof. Eric Garfunkel (Rutgers), Mr. Alec Reynolds (Flagship Pioneering), Prof. Jackie Ying
- 10:05–10:25 Computational Biology in Action — Prof. Nikolay V. Dokholyan (University of Virginia)
- 10:45–11:05 Multi-Agent AI Hubs for Cancer Access and Clinical Trials — Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla
- 11:05–11:25 Genome Editing Beyond CRISPR: Mitochondrial DNA Editing — Prof. Jin-Soo Kim (KAIST)
- 11:25–11:45 AI-Enabled Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biology for Drug Development — Prof. Xiaoguang Lei (Peking University)
- 11:45–12:00 Building KSA's AI-Biotech Vision
- 13:00–14:30 Official Opening Ceremony
- 14:45–15:15 The KAIMRC Gene Therapy Localization Journey — Dr. Marcello Maresca (AstraZeneca), Dr. Seng H. Cheng (Alexion), Dr. Sausan Alfaris (KAIMRC)
- 15:15–15:45 Population Genomics as a National Asset — Prof. Fowzan Alkuraya, Prof. Khalid Fakhro
- 15:45–16:05 Genetic Basis of Experimental Autoimmune Diseases — Prof. Vijay Kumar Kuchroo (Harvard)
- 16:05–16:25 From Heatstroke Biology to Bedside Diagnostics — Dr. Abderrezak Bouchama (KAIMRC)
- 16:25–16:45 Epigenomics Decoding Cancer — Dr. Zdenko Herceg (IARC)
- 16:45–17:15 From Population Proteomics to Precision Health — Dr. Cynthia Lawley (Olink), Mr. Moritz Hartmann (Roche)
Session themes across Day 1 include Artificial Intelligence in Biotech and Multi-Omics: From Discovery to Global Impact. Days 2 and 3 continue with the Executive Biotech Sessions (invitation-only leadership councils limited to 10 participants each), the NextGen Biotech Forum and the Life Sciences Innovation Forum. The full three-day agenda is published at rgmbs.org/program.
