WHO Regional Director advances health cooperation and access to medical products during visit to Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 16 January 2026 - WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, has concluded an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 11 to 14 January, during which she held a series of high-level meetings to strengthen collaboration on regional and global health priorities, including equitable access to medical products, climate and health, digital cooperation, health system resilience, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

During the visit, Dr Balkhy met with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Sports, and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. Discussions focused on advancing multilateral cooperation, reinforcing health security and supporting WHO's regional flagship initiatives, while highlighting Saudi Arabia's growing leadership in health diplomacy, humanitarian action and sustainable development.

Dr Balkhy held meetings with H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Rassi, Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs; H.E. Adel Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Envoy for Climate; and H.E. Waleed Elkhereiji, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Exchanges focused on shared priorities in global health, climate change and multilateral cooperation, as well as strengthening collaboration between the Kingdom and WHO in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

A central focus of the visit was the regional flagship initiative on equitable access to medical products. In discussions with H.E. Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Dr Balkhy explored how Saudi Arabia's industrial capacity, regulatory maturity, Vision 2030 and the Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative can directly support regional production of quality-assured medicines and vaccines.

"Access to medicines is not only a health issue, but a health, economic and security imperative for the Eastern Mediterranean Region," said Dr Balkhy. "By leveraging Saudi Arabia's leadership, industrial strength and strategic vision, we can help build more resilient and equitable supply chains serving over 750 million people across the Region."

During the visit, WHO and the Ministry of Health convened senior Saudi officials and pharmaceutical industry leaders to explore how predictable demand, trusted regulatory pathways and long-term investment can strengthen local and regional pharmaceutical production. Discussions highlighted that the Eastern Mediterranean Region is a significant yet underserved market, where strengthening production and supply chains is essential for health security and economic resilience.

"WHO's role is to help make this market more predictable by aggregating demand, supporting regulatory alignment, relying on established standards and reducing time to market within a trusted framework of health security and multilateral cooperation," said Dr Balkhy. "These realities inspired the launch of our regional flagship initiative on access to medical products, shifting the Region away from fragmented, reactive approaches toward strategic production, aggregated demand and resilient, competitive value chains."

Dr Balkhy also met with H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Gwaiz, Acting Deputy Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change at the Ministry of Energy, to discuss strengthening collaboration on climate and health. Discussions highlighted how energy and infrastructure planning can help sustain essential health services during heatwaves and other climate-related hazards, building on Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.

In addition, Dr Balkhy met with H.E. Adwa AlArifi, Deputy Minister of Strategic Planning and Investment at the Ministry of Sport, to discuss the role of sport in promoting health and well-being. The discussions explored how major sporting events, including FIFA World Cup 2034, can serve as platforms to inspire daily physical activity, promote healthy lifestyles and advance tobacco-free environments. Building on Saudi Vision 2030 and the global Sport for Health agenda, the shared focus is on creating more physically active and healthier communities across the Kingdom and the Region.

Engagements with H.E. Abdulaziz Al-Rumaih, Vice Minister of Health for Planning and Development, focused on advancing cooperation following the 2024 High-Level Strategic Dialogue between Saudi Arabia and WHO, as well as supporting the Kingdom's expanding regional and global health role. Dr Balkhy also met with Ms Deemah AlYahya, founding Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, to explore how digital cooperation can accelerate more inclusive, resilient and innovative health systems across the Region.

"This visit reaffirmed the Kingdom's strong partnership with WHO and its commitment to advancing health during crises and beyond," said Dr Balkhy. "Together, we can translate policy, innovation and investment into tangible health gains for communities across the Eastern Mediterranean Region and beyond."