Hamad bin Ahmed al-Manie

Position: Minister of Health, Saudi Arabia

Biography: A former director general of the Riyadh regional Health Department, Hamad bin Ahmed al-Manie was appointed health minister in a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle in 2003, replacing the long-serving Osama Shobokshi. After five years in the job, Al-Manie has placed the pharmaceutical sector at the top of an increasingly wide-ranging ministerial agenda. One of his main ambitions is to reduce the price ordinary Saudis pay for over-the counter drugs, announcing the launch of a new state-owned wholesaler in late 2007 to distribute medicines to the public sector. A firm technocrat, the minister has not been afraid to make unpopular changes in his ministry. He was the first Saudi official to publicly announce his ministry was firing several employees on charges of corruption. At the top of Al-Manie’s concerns is the incidence of diabetes in the kingdom, estimated to afflict about one-quarter of the population.

Contact Tel: (+9661) 401 5555

Saleh Bawazir

Position: Vice-president, Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA)

Biography: Saleh Bawazir heads the drug unit of Saudi watchdog the SFDA, a newly formed body that is closely modelled on the US Food & Drug Administration. Its main purpose is to regulate food, drugs and medical devices, and to set mandatory standard specifications for these. Bawazir is also an associate professor of clinical pharmacy in the College of Pharmacy at King Saud University in Riyadh. Previously, Bawazir has advised the Health Ministry and the Executive Office for Health Ministers in the GCC States. He is considered to be the foremost authority on pharmaceutical regulations in the kingdom, and is the author of numerous scientific papers. Under Bawazir’s leadership, the SFDA will design new drugs application approval processes, using his expertise in intellectual property rights. He is understood to believe that establishing pharmacy as a clinical profession is a priority for the kingdom.

Contact Tel: (+9661) 275 9222

Saleh al-Omair

Position: Chairman, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corporation (Spimaco)

Biography: As chairman of the kingdom’s biggest pharmaceutical producer, Spimaco, Saleh al-Omair is an influential and experienced industry leader. Under his chairmanship, the listed company reported a 15 per cent increase in net profits in 2007 to SR121.1m ($32.2m). Having Al-Omair at the helm represents a decisive advantage for the company, enabling him to use his considerable experience and strong business relationships - he is also chairman of Sabic’s steelmaking affiliate, Hadeed. A former deputy minister of finance and national economy, he has been a member of the Majlis al-Shura (parliament) since 2001, ensuring a political influence that should serve Spimaco well in an increasingly competitive market. Al-Omair wants his firms to diversify into the production of own-branded products.

Contact Tel: (+9661) 477 4481

Ayman Tamer

Position: CEO, Tamer Group

Biography: Ayman Tamer is chief executive officer (CEO) of Tamer Group, an offshoot of one of Jeddah’s most prominent pharmaceutical family businesses, founded in 1922 by his grandfather, Mamoun Tamer. He has built strategic relationships with leading global pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis and Sanofi Aventis, and supervised the establishment of the Saudi Arabian Japanese Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Company (Saja), a joint venture with two leading Japanese firms, in 2001. Tamer’s challenge is to manage the transformation of his business in a more competitive marketplace. His view is that it pays to innovate, and that the company needs to improve its research and development focus. He also says that Saudi Arabia needs to improve its understanding of patent protection if the pharmaceuticals sector is to develop to its full potential.

Contact Tel: (+9662) 643 5600

Ghaith Sukhtian

Position: CEO, Tabuk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company

Biography: A Palestinian, Ghaith Sukhtian is a prominent figure in the Middle East pharmaceuticals sector, and is chairman and CEO of Munir Sukhtian International, an international diversified group with sales exceeding $400m a year. Munir took over the family pharmaceutical business in Tulkarem on the West Bank in 1967, during the Israeli occupation, and steadily built up the business. In 1994, Sukhtian helped found Tabuk, which is now the second-largest Saudi pharmaceutical manufacturer and one of the top five in terms of sales in the kingdom. Tabuk is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Astra Industrial Group, one of the biggest industrial groups in the Middle East. As the founder and CEO of the MS Group Saudi joint venture with Astra, Sukhtian has been CEO of Nour Communications, Tabuk Pharmaceutical, AstraChem and Astra Agriculture.

Contact Tel: (+9664) 428 2964

Walid Amin al-Kayyali

Position: Executive director and founder of Al-Haya Medical Company

Biography: Another prominent businessman of Palestinian origin, Walid Amin al-Kayyali was a founding member of Spimaco. He established Al-Haya in 1967 as a majority-owned family business. A leading distributor of medicines, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, Al-Haya has five primary distri-bution centres in Saudi Arabia, seven warehouses and a fleet of 55 trucks. The company’s 2006 sales turnover was $350m and the company represents several multinational pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithkline, Dupont, Merck and Norgine. Al-Kayyali donated SR5m ($1.3m) to the establishment of a research chair in his name at King Saud University in the capital. In association with other business partners, Al-Kayyali has also established the Saudi-based Medical and Cosmetic Products Company.

Contact Tel: (+9663) 895 2894