Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies in improving human and animal health, inaugurated its new office as well as its expanded legal and commercial entity in Riyadh.

This new milestone has reaffirmed the company’s commitment towards supporting and contributing to the Saudi Vision 2030.

A leading Germany-based group, Boehringer Ingelheim said its history in Saudi Arabia dates back to the 1970s. Over the years, it has grown to position by delivering key innovations in a number of therapy areas including but not limited to diabetes, hypertension, respiratory diseases, rare diseases, oncology and stroke treatment.

The opening ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority SFDA), Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the German Embassy in Saudi Arabia, King Saud University, local partners in Saudi Arabia and representatives from Boehringer Ingelheim’s Emerging Markets and Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) regions.

During the event, company officials focused on the Boehringer Ingelheim’s growing team from the Saudi nationals, operating across different business functions.

In addition, empowerment of female professionals has been highlighted as an important element in the company’s diversity strategy with 19% of the total workforce is comprised of females, which is aligned with the Kingdom’s aspiration to increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%.

Yew Looi, Global Head of Region Emerging Markets Human Pharma, said: "Saudi Arabia is one of the most influential countries among the emerging markets. The kingdom is clearly committed to the better health of its citizens, and to continually improving its healthcare system, striving always for regional and global excellence and leadership."

"That is why, we continue to invest in growing our presence, while also deepen our roots through partnerships, local production, development of Saudi talents and improving access of innovative medicines. All, to ultimately serve the Saudi patients and offer them solutions for their unmet medical needs. We are committed to setting the right foundations for continued growth across the kingdom," he added.

Boehringer Ingelheim has signed a number of agreements to reinforce the importance of medication safety in partnership with leading local educational institutions.

General Manager and Head of Human Pharmaceuticals (Saudi Arabia) Waleed Mashak said the launch of the group's new legal entity in the kingdom represents another successful milestone in its growth story.

"This occasion is a momentous one, as it complements our position as the third fastest growing multinational company in the kingdom with more than 18% growth rate," he noted.

"The future is promising. We are very excited about our next chapter in the Kingdom as we continue our discussions with authorities to upgrade our localization program from secondary to primary production and full manufacturing of key innovations in cardiovascular, respiratory, rare diseases and diabetes," he added.-TradeArabia News Service