JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with a German firm to supply and distribute a coronavirus vaccine in the Kingdom.
Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances Corp. (SPIMACO) said on Sunday that it had signed the agreement with biopharmaceutical company CureVac on Nov. 27.
Under the agreement, SPIMACO will apply for the necessary approvals from the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) to meet the requirements for distributing the vaccine.
The CureVac vaccine successfully passed the first phase of clinical trials in early November.
Results showed an increase in virus-neutralizing antibodies in all participants who took the dose, and more than 90 percent of patients were shown to have developed antibodies against both the receptors and the COVID-19 spike protein.
CureVac is aiming to lodge a submission to the European Medicines Agency during the first quarter of 2021.
The agreement includes the possibility of extending the supply and distribution rights to the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
The announcement is part of the Saudi government’s initiatives to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement on Nov. 11, Abdullah Al-Assiri, assistant deputy minister for preventive health, said the government had previously signed an agreement to receive early supplies of two or three different vaccines that were in the final stages of their clinical trials.
“Saudi Arabia will be one of the first countries to receive the vaccines,” he said during an interview on Saudia TV.
Saudi health officials have previously announced plans to offer free vaccinations by the end of 2021 to 70 percent of residents who have not contracted the virus.
Saudi Arabia signs deal with German firm to distribute COVID-19 vaccine
https://arab.news/rnc4k
Saudi Arabia signs deal with German firm to distribute COVID-19 vaccine
- The CureVac vaccine successfully passed the first phase of clinical trials in early November
- The announcement is part of the Saudi government’s initiatives to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Free trade negotiations between GCC, India mark new phase of partnership, says sec-gen
RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general affirmed that the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the GCC and India, and the signing of the joint statement, represents a new phase of strategic partnership.
Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi said that this contributes to enhancing close cooperation and strengthening economic and trade ties, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
This came during the signing ceremony of the joint statement on launching the free trade agreement negotiations between the Al-Budaiwi and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, which took place in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
During the signing ceremony, Al-Budaiwi said that the Terms of Reference, signed on Feb. 5, provide a comprehensive and clear framework for these negotiations. The two nations agreed to discuss enhancing cooperation in vital strategic areas, including trade in goods, customs procedures, and services.
Additionally, the framework covers Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, intellectual property rights, cooperation on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, along with other topics of mutual interest. This reflects the comprehensive nature of the agreement and its ability to keep pace with the future economy.
Al-Budaiwi expressed hope that these negotiations would lead to a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement that works to remove customs and non-customs barriers, enhance the flow of quality investments in both directions, and achieve further liberalization in trade and investment cooperation between the GCC and India for mutual benefit.
This would provide a stimulating economic environment and an investment climate that opens broad horizons for the business sector, supports supply chains, and accelerates the pace of economic growth in line with the ambitious developmental visions of the GCC states.
The top official affirmed the full readiness of the General Secretariat to host the first round of negotiations at its headquarters in Riyadh during the second half of this year.
The two sides held a meeting during which they reviewed the existing cooperation relations between the GCC and India and discussed ways to develop and elevate them to broader horizons, serving mutual interests and enhancing opportunities for strategic partnership between the two sides, particularly in the economic, investment, and trade fields.
They praised the role undertaken by the negotiating teams from both sides, appreciating the efforts contributing to reaching a comprehensive agreement that enhances economic integration and supports the smooth flow of trade between the two nations.
