Saudi-French Partnership to Localize Veterinary Vaccine Production

Riyadh, February 17, 2026, SPA -- Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Livestock and Fisheries Development Program Abdulrahman Alfadley sponsored the signing of a memorandum of understanding yesterday between the program and the French company Ceva. A number of senior officials attended.

The memorandum focuses on localizing vaccine manufacturing, transferring technology and technical expertise, and expanding the industrial and commercial production of veterinary vaccines across all regions of the Kingdom.

Under the memorandum, the two sides will work to achieve high efficiencyin mass production scale-up (Mass Production Scale-Up). They will also set a clear pathway for sustainable commercial operations that meets local and national market needs and strengthens biosecurity and food security.

The memorandum includes developing and updating messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technologies. It also covers joint research and development of a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) vaccine for camels, through the design, evaluation and development of tailored vaccines to combat the virus. It also includes developing a rabies vaccine and related solutions and supporting national efforts to control rabies through vaccine supply, capacity-building and integrated prevention strategies.

The cooperation aims to meet the Kingdom’s poultry vaccine market needs, currently estimated at about SAR750 million. The company will cover about 30% of the market, with an investment of about SAR250 million in its first phase. With continued government support for poultry projects and rising sector output, the market is expected to grow by more than 10% annually, reaching about SAR1.25 billion by 2030.

The memorandum aims to localize veterinary vaccine manufacturing to ensure compatibility with poultry disease strains circulating in the Kingdom. It includes transferring technology and technical expertise from Ceva, as well as specialized training programs to ensure manufacturing facilities comply with international Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.