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MENA Healthcare Reforms Prioritise R&D and Progressive Industrial Protection
2 min 47 sec
February 6, 2026 (Edited)
Written by
Ahmad Saleh
Partner, Head of Innovation, Patents & Industrial Property
ah.saleh@tamimi.com
View LinkedIn Profile
The Middle East, particularly the GCC and North Africa, is no longer merely a consumer of global healthcare innovations; it is rapidly becoming a hub for their development. This shift reflects ambitious national roadmaps that prioritise human development and economic diversification, transforming healthcare from a service-delivery model into an innovation-led ecosystem. This article explores some examples illustrating such a transition.
Driven by national transformation agendas, governments across the Middle East and North Africa are reshaping their healthcare systems around research and knowledge-based growth. In parallel, governments are building sophisticated legal and regulatory frameworks to govern medical research and next-generation medical technologies, from genomic medicine to AI-enabled diagnostics, with intellectual property strategy playing a central role in enabling research, commercialisation, and long-term competitiveness.
The UAE: Centralising healthcare regulation with a clear focus on R&D
Cabinet Resolution No. (40) of 2025 is a cornerstone of the UAE’s transition, centralising medical and pharmaceutical regulation through the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE). The EDE acts as both a regulator and an enabler of research and development (R&D). This new structure specifically incentivises research by signalling clear policy directions that favour innovation and production over mere consumption.
Saudi Arabia: Localisation through SFDA incentives
Saudi Arabia represents an ambitious component of this regional shift. Under its Vision 2030, the Kingdom is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and strategic localisation to redefine its healthcare economy.
To reach the ambitious 40% local production target by 2030, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority have leveraged “localisation” through financial and procedural incentives. These include 10% price preferences in government tenders via the for products with local IP and fast-tracked registration pathways for companies that transfer technology to Saudi-based entities. This shifts the Kingdom from a consumer hub to a global hub for life sciences innovation.
Qatar: Creating a ‘safe harbour’ for health and genomic research
Law No. (6) of 2025 positions Qatar as a leader in precision medicine by regulating genomic and health research. The law mandates that research be conducted through specialised institutions led by qualified experts, creating a ‘safe harbour’ that protects intellectual capital and ethical standards for biotechnology firms.
Simultaneously, the Qatari Foundation for the Support of Innovation and Scientific Research bridges the gap between academia and commercial markets by aligning public funding with national strategic priorities.
Egypt: Balancing liability and technological advancement
Egypt’s Law No. (13) of 2025 brings express distinctions between ‘unintentional complications’ and ‘gross negligence’, which provides a clearer liability framework. It encourages healthcare providers to deploy AI-enabled tools by recognising scientifically established complications as foreseeable outcomes that do not, in themselves, give rise to liability when professional standards are met. This is expected to support the growth of the R&D sector in this area.
Complementing these reforms, Egypt has adjusted its IP regime through Decree No. 26 of 2025, which increases patent examination fees to support more rigorous expert reviews. This aims to strengthen the quality, enforceability, and commercial value of patent assets underpinning medical and digital health innovation.
Oman: Regulating life-saving innovation
Oman’s Royal Decree No. (44) of 2025 establishes a rigorous legal framework for organ and tissue transplantation, empowering the Omani Center for Organ Transplantation to lead R&D and specialist training. By codifying the rights and responsibilities of donors, recipients, and institutions, the decree provides the ethical foundation required to advance complex surgical techniques and regenerative medicine.
Written by
Ahmad Saleh
Partner, Head of Innovation, Patents & Industrial Property
ah.saleh@tamimi.com
View LinkedIn Profile
Progressive industrial property regimes, including patents, industrial designs, and trade secrets, will be key to securing the protection of these assets. As R&D and innovation evolves, it will be important to capture the value of these creations through proper and adequate industrial property protection of the resulting research and innovations. This is not only a question of private business interest, but also a question of national priority.
Crucial role for IP regimes: Patents, trade secrets, and industrial designs
MENA’s transition to a knowledge-based economy is driven by deep regulatory and legislative reforms, balancing progressive innovation with public safety. Intellectual property has shifted from the traditional franchising and counterfeit-prevention approach to being a strategic asset for securing high-value knowledge.
Progressive industrial property regimes, including patents, industrial designs, and trade secrets, will be key to securing the protection of these assets. As R&D and innovation evolves, it will be important to capture the value of these creations through proper and adequate industrial property protection of the resulting research and innovations. This is not only a question of private business interest, but also a question of national priority.
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