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The Pharmaceutical Product Safety Center convened a meeting with representatives of pharmaceutical companies from both Saudi Arabia and India, according to UzDaily.uz. Discussions focused on the procedures for medicine circulation within Uzbekistan, covering state registration, registration by recognition, certification, document submission and expert assessment. Center specialists outlined the current framework for state registration of medicines to the foreign delegates.
The Saudi side voiced readiness to bolster cooperation between the Pharmaceutical Product Safety Center and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, UzDaily.uz reported. Meeting participants emphasized the value of drawing on SFDA expertise to upgrade the center’s practices in line with international standards. Officials highlighted the goal of reaching the World Health Organization’s maturity level 3 for regulatory operations in the future.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority achieved WHO maturity level 4 for medicines and vaccines in 2023, becoming the third such authority globally, a World Health Organization announcement stated. Uzbekistan updated its medicinal product registration rules earlier this year to recognize approvals from WHO-listed bodies and ML4 regulators, according to a Legal 500 analysis. These steps form part of ongoing reforms to strengthen oversight in a sector attracting growing foreign interest.
Both parties agreed after the meeting to maintain practical cooperation, share experiences and address issues through regular working-level contacts, the center indicated via UzDaily.uz. The session builds on a series of health sector engagements between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia throughout the summer. Related talks in late July 2026 covered healthcare modernization, pharmaceutical production and potential joint ventures, multiple UzDaily.uz reports showed.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Saudi counterparts addressed broader healthcare collaboration, including digitalization, medical training and new projects, during discussions around July 28, 2026, UzDaily.uz reported. The engagements reflect sustained momentum in bilateral ties that encompass pharmaceutical regulation and investment opportunities. Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have explored expanded partnerships in areas such as telemedicine and supply chain resilience.
Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical market reached a moving annual total of $2.14 billion as of September 2025, more than doubling from 2018 levels with average annual growth above 13 percent, IQVIA analytics cited by The Times of Central Asia indicate. The sector expanded 36 percent year-on-year in the latest period, outpacing neighboring markets and positioning Uzbekistan as Central Asia’s largest pharmaceutical hub. This growth has drawn increased attention to regulatory alignment as a means to facilitate safer and faster market access for foreign products.
