A senior Saudi delegation has arrived in Pakistan to move forward with plans for establishing local vaccine manufacturing, according to the Ministry of National Health Services, as Islamabad works to strengthen its immunization capacity.

The eleven-member delegation’s visit has been described as a key step in deepening Pakistan–Saudi Arabia cooperation in the health sector, particularly in pharmaceuticals, industrial development, and vaccine production.

The ministry said the visit follows a series of engagements over the past seven months between Pakistan’s Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and his Saudi counterpart, along with meetings involving Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry. These discussions focused on investment prospects, technical collaboration, and the feasibility of producing vaccines locally in Pakistan. Both countries have also appointed focal persons to maintain coordination and ensure progress.

Health Minister Kamal said the delegation’s presence is expected to translate policy discussions into concrete action on local vaccine manufacturing. He emphasized that developing domestic production facilities would help Pakistan meet its own immunization requirements and create the potential for exporting surplus vaccines.

According to the minister, local manufacturing would support economic growth, strengthen national resilience, and reduce reliance on imports, which currently strain foreign exchange reserves and often lead to procurement delays.

Pakistan conducts large-scale immunization drives against diseases, including polio, measles, rubella, and hepatitis, but depends entirely on imported vaccines. Establishing local production is seen as a strategic move for a country of more than 240 million people.