Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) will play an active role at the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Middle East 2009 (PABME) congress which opens its doors today (April 20) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The SFDA, which began its operations recently, aims to improve and influence drug regulation across the region. “We’re a brand new organisation and we will be making regular announcements in the future,” said Dr. Ibrahim Alshowaier, consultant, SFDA.

“The countries in the Middle East, especially our neighbours, are looking to see how the SFDA will proceed and develop. We work closely with other countries. Everyone understands that the SFDA will have standards in place that others will need to meet before they can market products in Saudi Arabia,” he opined.

According to him, the tightening of rules covering the sale of pharmaceuticals will be welcomed broadly.

In the Middle East, the drug market is reportedly expected to grow by 15 per cent annually over the next three years, and the SFDA will play a crucial role in maintaining the quality of medicines sold in Saudi Arabia, and indirectly in other countries across the region, he added.

“We will offer a reasonable framework. It will not be very rich, but then it won’t be poor either,” Alshowaier said.

“The basis of this framework is to oversee and verify. That’s what we see the countries around the world doing, and our ability to do this is crucial for us,” he quipped.

Simon Page, director of the Life Science Division, IIR Middle East stressed on the need to have greater scrutiny of the sale of medicines.

“The healthcare sector is growing rapidly, and a big part of this is the availability of quality pharmaceuticals. We’re talking about a multi-billion dollar industry that needs a strong level of regulation,” he opined.

“Governments across the region continue to introduce protocols that offer assurances about the safety of medicines on sale to members of the public,” he said.

Page explained that over the next three days Pabme 2009 will be playing its role in providing pharmaceutical industry professionals from the Middle East with all the latest information and findings from the sector.

These are conveyed over several major high level conferences tailored for professional delegates. They include: Current Trends in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology; Innovative Therapeutics; Pharma and Biotech Opportunities in Emerging Markets; Facilities Design, Upgrade and Expansion; Pharma and Biotech Marketing; and the Clinical Trials Congress.

In addition to the conferences, Pabme 2009 will have around 100 companies from over 20 countries exhibiting.

The Middle East’s pharmaceutical sector is developing rapidly, and it is vital that all stakeholders are aware of how regulations and protocols are evolving, he added.

According to Page,  Pabme 2009 provides the ideal platform for industry professionals to keep abreast of all of the latest issues in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

“Pabme is essential for everyone working in the pharma and biotech industries in the Middle East, and also for anyone interested in entering the market here,” he said.

“Some of the leading firms in the world are showcasing their latest products and services, and the range of conferences covers everything that industry professionals need to know about these lucrative sectors in this region,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service