Saudi Arabia and France have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to localize veterinary vaccine manufacturing in the Kingdom, reinforcing national biosecurity and food security objectives.
The agreement was sponsored by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Livestock and Fisheries Development Program, Abdulrahman Alfadley, and formalized between the program and French veterinary pharmaceutical company Ceva Santé Animale, in the presence of senior officials.
Strategic localization and technology transfer
The MoU establishes a comprehensive framework for localizing vaccine production, transferring advanced technologies and technical expertise, and expanding industrial and commercial-scale manufacturing across the Kingdom.
The two sides will collaborate to achieve high-efficiency mass production scale-up while creating a structured pathway for sustainable commercial operations that meet domestic market needs. The initiative is designed to reinforce national biosecurity systems and enhance long-term food security resilience.
Advanced vaccine development
A central component of the cooperation involves developing and upgrading messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technologies.
The partners will also jointly research and develop a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) vaccine for camels, including the design, evaluation, and production of tailored solutions to combat the virus.
The agreement further covers the development of rabies vaccines and related prevention strategies, supporting national disease control efforts through stable vaccine supply, capacity building, and integrated response frameworks.
Image via SPA | Cropped by GBN
Poultry market expansion
The partnership aims to address the Kingdom’s poultry vaccine market, currently valued at approximately $200 million (SAR750 million). In its initial phase, Ceva plans to capture around 30 percent of the market through an investment of about $66.7 million (SAR250 million).
With sustained government support for poultry sector projects and increasing production output, the market is projected to grow by more than 10 percent annually, reaching nearly
The localization strategy will ensure compatibility between domestically produced vaccines and poultry disease strains circulating within the Kingdom, enhancing effectiveness and responsiveness.
The MoU also includes comprehensive technology transfer and specialized training programs to develop national expertise, with manufacturing facilities designed to comply fully with international Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.
