KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY — Two years after the laying of the first stone, Sanofi announced Wednesday the opening of its production facility in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) industrial valley, making it one of the first multinational pharmaceutical groups to produce locally in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sanofi has had a strong presence in Saudi Arabia for half a century with offices in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. Over the five past years, the company has increased its investments and contributions in the Kingdom through numerous partnerships designed to improve the health of Saudi patients, particularly in the field of chronic diseases. The opening of a manufacturing facility was therefore a natural next step and KAEC was chosen as the perfect location due to the pro-business and competitive environment of the region. The new factory is creating jobs for Saudi citizens and transfers Sanofi technology for the benefit of the Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Philippe Luscan, Sanofi Executive Vice President Global Industrial Affairs, declared. “We are delighted today to open this facility, together with King Abdullah Economic City and the Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority as our strategic partners. As a pioneer, we built a plant designed to produce up to 20 million packs of locally-made high quality medical treatments which will benefit the needs of the regional community, through an adapted life cycle management. We are proud to share Sanofi's technology knowledge and industrial culture of quality, customer service, respect for environment and safety with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" he said. ”Producing locally is the best way to fulfill patient local needs, hiring and training local technicians and managers,” he added. This sentiment was echoed by Antoine Ortoli, Sanofi Senior Vice President, Intercontinental Region, who described the move as a milestone in Sanofi's presence in the Middle East and a prime opportunity to contribute to the local community and economy. "I am proud to be here to inaugurate our first factory in the kingdom demonstrating our commitment to meeting the needs of the local population,” he said. “For Saudi Arabia and its citizens, the opening of this facility will mean access to quality, innovative medicines. It will also mean important job creation and training, along with research and development opportunities. For Sanofi, it also provides us a chance to consolidate our presence in the region and grow our presence and business in the increasingly important market of Saudi Arabia.” Speaking about Sanofi's decision to invest in Saudi Arabia, Mohanud Helal, Secretary General of the Economic Cities Authority, said: "We are very delighted to inaugurate Sanofi's production plant in King Abdullah Economic City, which is a testament to the long-term partnership between KAEC and anchor investors in the pharmaceutical industry. This inauguration also positions KAEC as a hub for pharmaceuticals and life sciences industries in the region. The Economic Cites, with its unique regulatory regime and streamlined government services, is rightfully positioned to offer an attractive investment environment in the region.” Fahd Al-Rasheed, Group CEO and MD of King Abdullah Economic City, said: "I have the greatest pleasure in congratulating Sanofi on the inauguration of their new production facility. KAEC's Industrial Valley is leading the way in addressing the Kingdom's future pharmaceutical needs. To date, more than half a billion Saudi Riyals is being invested in constructing manufacturing facilities by world renowned companies such as Sanofi and we are particularly glad that this leading company chose KAEC for its first manufacturing facility in the GCC since it will contribute to the development of the fast-growing pharmaceutical industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." Rayan Qutub, CEO Industrial Valley, said: “It brings pride to have Sanofi's State of the art manufacturing facility built here, a reflection of their commitment to Saudi and their trust in the Industrial Valley. Sanofi is one of biggest Pharmaceutical Companies in Europe and in the world; Sanofi is a key anchor tenant in achieving our vision as the new Pharmaceutical hub in the region. We are committed to providing all the required support to drive the accelerated growth of Sanofi in the region.” — SG
