Press Release: STADA invests more than €85m in Saudi Arabia manufacturing hub
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STADA invests more than €85m in Saudi Arabia manufacturing hub
- STADA commits to constructing pharmaceutical manufacturing facility during signing ceremony on 16 February attended by His Excellency Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources
- The facility will be STADA's first manufacturing site in the Middle East and Africa, functioning as STADA strategic hub for the entire MENA region, supplying patients and healthcare professionals with essential medicines in therapeutic categories including cardiovascular, diabetes, gastrointestinal and central nervous system
- STADA CEO Peter Goldschmidt: “Improving healthcare autonomy for 35 million people in Saudi Arabia delivers on STADA’s purpose of Caring for People’s Health as a Trusted Partner."
Riyadh, KSA – 16 February 2026 – Global healthcare company STADA today committed to investing more than €85 million in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. The facility will supply essential medicines for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes to Saudi Arabia’s 35 million inhabitants, as well as to patients in surrounding countries.
During a signing ceremony today in Riyadh attended by His Excellency Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, STADA outlined its commitment to reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s local medicines manufacturing capacity, thereby reducing the country’s dependence on healthcare imports and strengthening its export capacity.
“We are proud to be partnering with the Saudi government to strengthen supply of essential medicines,” stated STADA CEO Peter Goldschmidt. “Improving healthcare autonomy for 35 million people in Saudi Arabia, as well as in surrounding countries, delivers on STADA’s purpose of Caring for People’s Health as a Trusted Partner.”
The SAR366 million (€85 million) investment will establish a facility located in the Sudair City for Industry and Businesses located 150km north-west of Riyadh. The STADA factory will join approximately 350 facilities currently operating or being built in the 16.9 million sq m Sudair developed area, which was created in 2009 by the Saudi government’s MODON agency that oversees 39 existing and under-development industrial cities across the Kingdom.
On a 23,250 sq m site, the new facility will offer an annual production capacity of more than 300 million units, equivalent to 10-13 million packs. It will integrate a scalable state-of-the-art production area engineered for manufacturing for multi-technology solid dosages with a manual secondary packaging center. Logistics will be supported by a 3,300+ pallet warehouse, featuring two dedicated cold rooms to ensure end-to-end environmental control. Once fully operational by 2030, it will complement STADA’s current network of 16 manufacturing sites across 11 countries in Europe and Asia.
In its first five years of operation, the facility is scheduled to supply around 500 million units of cardiovascular medicines, as well as 175 million anticoagulants and almost 250 million treatments for type 2 diabetes, to the Saudi population of around 35 million people, as well as patients across the MENA region. The regional supply hub will also produce products including central nervous system treatments for conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, as well as antacids.
By creating around 400 jobs, STADA will more than treble its workforce in Saudi Arabia from more than 100 employees at present. The project is estimated to make a contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately SAR500 million, thereby supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 economic diversification initiative. Having been active in Saudi Arabia for around 15 years, STADA has in recent years reinforced its local presence, including by establishing a trading legal entity, a technical scientific office and a regional headquarters to support global exports.
“Saudi Arabia is a key market for STADA’s growth strategy outside of Europe,” explained Head and EVP of Emerging Markets, Stéphane Jacqmin. ”Adding comprehensive local production capacities adds to STADA’s appeal as a partner of choice in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East region., building on our strong existing relationships with several renowned pharmaceutical companies.”
Given its pivotal role in STADA’s regional growth strategy, Saudi Arabia already numbers among the Group’s 20 largest countries by sales, and growing strongly in double-digits. With a broad portfolio serving physicians’ offices and pharmacies, the Group generates approximately half of its revenues comes from Consumer Healthcare brands such as Nizoral, Fito, Radian and Septoforte, as well as the recently expanded Oilatum skincare line. Specialty medicines are also a key focus in areas such as pain management, while STADA is moving into the biologic medicines arena in Saudi Arabia by introducing tocilizumab, golimumab and ranibizumab. This is complemented by a growing offering in the rapidly expanding generics sector of the Saudi pharmaceutical market.
“Through this investment,” concluded STADA’s General Manager in Saudi Arabia, Ahmed El-Barbary, “we look forward to expanding STADA’s portfolio and footprint in Saudi Arabia, in line with our purpose of Caring for People’s Health as a Trusted Partner.”
About STADA Arzneimittel AG
STADA Arzneimittel AG is headquartered in Bad Vilbel, Germany. The company focuses on a three-pillar strategy consisting of consumer healthcare products, generics and specialty pharma. Worldwide, STADA Arzneimittel AG sells its products in over 100 countries. In financial year 2024, STADA achieved group sales of € 4,059 million and adjusted constant-currency earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (adj. cc EBITDA) of € 886 million. As of 31 December 2024, STADA employed 11,649 people worldwide.
Additional information for journalists STADA Arzneimittel AG - Media Relations Stadastrasse 2-18, 61118 Bad Vilbel - Germany Phone: +49 (0) 6101 603-165 E-Mail: press@stada.de Or visit us via our website at https://www.stada.com/media/newsroom Follow @StadaGroup on LinkedIn Additional information for capital market participants STADA Arzneimittel AG - Investor & Creditor Relations Stadastrasse 2-18, 61118 Bad Vilbel – Germany Phone: +49 (0) 6101 603-4689 Fax: +49 (0) 6101 603-215 E-mail: ir@stada.de Or visit us via our website at https://www.stada.com/investor-relations/