Saudi FDA chief highlights Kingdom’s support for medical innovation at Singapore forum

The CEO of Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Hisham bin Saad Aljadhey, emphasized the Kingdom's dedication to establishing a regulatory framework that supports medical innovation at the International Medical Device Regulators Forum held in Singapore from September 14 to 18. The forum, chaired by Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority, brought together leaders from regulatory bodies including the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority.

Aljadhey joined in discussions on understanding regulatory disparities and fostering uniformity in medical device regulation during a panel session. He elaborated on Saudi Arabia's efforts to create an integrated system for nurturing emerging medical technologies, encompassing digital platforms, data governance, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity standards, and regulatory sandboxes aimed at turning medical breakthroughs into secure, efficient, and scalable solutions.

Aljadhey highlighted the Saudi Food and Drug Authority's forward-thinking strategy, which relies on risk evaluation, data analysis, and consideration of the product's lifecycle, while simultaneously improving avenues for novel technologies, such as medical devices and AI implementations. He underscored the significance of international regulatory cooperation to bolster innovation and uphold safety and efficacy benchmarks.

Aljadhey affirmed that the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) serves as a crucial platform for disseminating best practices, crafting joint regulatory frameworks, and elucidating demands for innovators, thereby minimizing regulatory overlap and shielding communities. The IMDRF is a leading global entity dedicated to regulatory harmonization in the medical device domain, convening regulators biannually to exchange expertise and formulate regulatory directives.