Middle East’s first vaccine development center opens in Saudi Arabia

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) launched the Saudi Center for Manufacturing and Developing Medical Vaccine Proteins, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The project, the first of its kind in the Middle East, will be established in partnership with Research Products Development Co. (RDP Innovations) and SaudiVax.

The center will manufacture vaccines, the first line of defense against epidemics in the Kingdom, such as coronavirus which causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV).

The new establishment will be located at KAUST research complex and is set to host several leading local and international research and development (R&D) firms.

“KAUST R&D complex is an innovative base for 28 companies, including start-ups and multinational firms. It provides partners with access to the university's advanced facilities and laboratories, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with the scholars, researchers and students," said KAUST President Tony F Chan.