Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Arabia's medicine imports rose 2.4%, or SAR 470 million, to SAR 19.89 billion in 2017, compared to SAR 19.42 billion a year earlier, Saudi Customs spokesman Eisa Aleisa said.
The kingdom imported 9.7 million kilograms of drugs at a combined value of SAR 3.17 in the first two months of this year, Aleisa added.
Germany, the US, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Jordan, Austria, the UAE, and the Netherlands are the top medicine exporters to Saudi Arabia.
About 13 out of 35 local pharmaceutical plants submitted requests to export drugs to 34 nations, according to Al Eqtisadiah newspaper.
Saudi Arabia's medicine production covers about 20% of the local market.
On Thursday, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances Company (SPIMACO) stated that it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AstraZeneca UK Limited to produce 17 cancer medicines.
