JEDDAH, 21 March 2007 -- The first nongovernmental company specializing in vaccines manufacturing in the Arab and Islamic world will open soon in Makkah to meet the growing needs of Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries.
With a capital of SR155 million, the Arabian Pharmaceutical Products Co. Ltd. (Arabio) factory will occupy 10,000 square meters in a Makkah industrial zone.
Hatem Mokhtar, managing director of the company, said: "The Arabian Pharmaceutical Products Co. factory which is more than 90 percent complete, and is scheduled to open next June, will have an annual production capacity of 40 million pieces and could go up to 120 million pieces."
He added that it would manufacture 15 types of vaccines for children and adults.
"We are proud to be the first private company in the Arab and Islamic world to produce vaccines, since all vaccines produced in Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia are produced by government-owned companies," he said.
Mokhtar said that the factory was the idea of Makkah Gov. Prince Abdul Majeed ibn Abdul Aziz.
Mokhtar said the factory would produce vaccines in cooperation with the largest international companies in the field of vaccines production.
"The production process will be in accordance with the highest international quality standards as set by the World Health Organization and the Saudi medicine and food organizations to ensure the highest level of quality," he added.
Arabio was founded in collaboration with Jeddah BioCity Co., Egyptian Serum and Vaccine Authority, Arab Company for Drug Industries and Medical Appliances (ACDIMA), Islamic Development Bank and Tamer Pharmaceutical in Saudi Arabia.
By Saleh Fareed
© Arab News 2007
