Saudi Arabia concluded the global health fair in Riyadh with a surprising message: collaboration, investment, and innovation remain the foundations of global health.
The eighth edition of the event brought in $35.5bn in signed agreements and partnerships, and recorded 607 speakers, and recorded a 54 percent increase in attendance worldwide compared to the national conference on health development.
Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, the event ran from October 27-30 under the theme “Sharing Health”.
Organized by Tahaluf, the exhibition is closely aligned with Vision 2030 and the Health Sector Reforms program, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s desire to reinvent global health systems.
Great deals and partnerships
During the closing remarks, Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Alramaih, Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, highlighted the special scale of the event and quality.
He said: “For the second year in a row, the global health fair stands as the fastest growing health event in the world… This year’s format has produced a unique quality of exhibitors and participants.
“We saw a strong global appetite from investors and leaders in the health care sector. The caliber of the speakers, the forums, and this is what made it possible to bring the quality of health around the world to the health industry around the world.”
He noted that the number of independent B2B organizations has grown compared to 2024, with this year’s event generating 35.5bn Health deals in health deals and partnerships.
Among the most notable announcements:
- $8.4bn has been committed to the development of Saudi Arabia’s hospital and healthcare infrastructure
- $3.24bn allocated to capital and strategic investment funds
- $625m was allocated to the life sciences sector
Strategic collaborations were revealed between Humain, Lean, and Google Cloud, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s rapid development in building a global digital health ecosystem.
Healthcare landscape
The final day focused on patient-centric innovation and the economics of care. In a panel defining the value of health in health care: Reimagining care models in 2035, experts from around the world examined how value-based care should be able to meet the needs of the future.
Matthew Shew, Chief Executive Officer of the Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, emphasized that the health value of health reaches beyond immediate costs to include long-term social and economic benefits.
Dr. Majd Abu Zant, MD and CEO of economic reproduction, added that financing models should appear in activities based on results-based methods, saying “The value of perfection, it is about equity, access and ensuring all patients receive the right care.”
The following morning founders
The show also highlighted emerging talent with two major competitions:
- The Nextgen Pitch competition, sponsored by Peresivia, featured 20 pitches from over 10 countries and awarded $26,660 to Exebeal, creators of a robotic glove that reverses hand paralysis
- At the end of the youth competition, part of the vibe, powered by the Ministry of Health, invited 117 groups of students to promote mental health, nutrition and health solutions. The Vitrac team received the highest honor
Both competitions underscore Saudi Arabia’s commitment to innovative support for secure healthcare, digital health, and youth entrepreneurship.
Global scale and industry support
This year’s exhibition attracts more than 130,000 attendees, 9200 exhibiting brands, and 607 speakers, including 307 international experts.
