TOKYO: Alfaisal University in Riyadh has signed a memorandum of understanding with Medident from Japan to create a model for equitable and technology-driven healthcare innovation that will enhance the contributions of both countries to global health.
The signing ceremony took place at the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo and was attended by Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, Saudi ambassador to Japan; Daisuke Tomita, president and CEO of Medident; Noor Al-Saadoun, director of health innovation at the Biotech Center of Alfaisal University; and Mohammed Abdelhakim, vice director of Medident at Nippon Medical School.
Binzagr hailed the agreement, saying: “In bringing together Saudi Arabia’s dynamic institutional vision with Japan’s globally revered expertise in precision medicine, technology integration and multidisciplinary care models, this new alliance is anchored in a shared commitment to ethical, scalable innovation that addresses tangible clinical challenges while fostering inclusive progress.”
Initial projects under the agreement include AI-driven diagnostic trials, immersive medical education, and faculty exchanges set to begin at Alfaisal’s Health Innovation Center in Riyadh in late 2025.
The partnership will also focus on innovation labs for AI diagnostics, XR surgical training, 3D-printed biomaterials, and digitalization of the healthcare system.
Additional benefits of the partnership will include co-developed certification programs, cross-border support for health-tech startups, ethical adaptation of Japanese med-tech under Saudi Food and Drug Authority governance, and collaborative research into emerging health technologies.
Al-Saadoun said the partnership is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, adding: “Today isn’t just a signing; it’s a gravitational shift. When global innovators like Japan choose Riyadh as their primary partner, they validate what Vision 2030 engineered: a sovereign ecosystem where regulatory agility, integrated infrastructure, and unwavering national commitment converge. This MoU announcement is an invitation to the world to join the fastest-evolving tech landscape on earth.”
Alfaisal University is a non-profit institution of higher education located in the palace grounds of the late King Faisal in Riyadh.
Medident, a pioneer in integrated oral-systemic healthcare models and the deployment of multidisciplinary medical technologies, is based in Tokyo.
