Over 135 medical and pharmaceutical companies from 25 countries are expected to compete for a stake in the Saudi healthcare market considered to be the biggest and fastest growing in the region.

The value of the sector is expected to reach SR150 billion by 2020.

This is through their participation in the three-day Global Health Exhibition that kicked off Monday at the Riyadh International Exhibitions and Conferences Center.

A Global Health Congress on the sidelines of the exhibition, under the auspices of Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, focuses on the current status of health investment in the Kingdom.

Participants include investors, distributors, medical equipment manufacturers, doctors, hospital directors, and healthcare providers.

Among the major countries that are participating in the forum are China, Pakistan, Turkey, the US, and Holland.

The exhibition is deemed an opportunity for them to invest in an ever-changing economy in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 that aims to develop and raise the standard of the healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia.

The Global Health Exhibition hosts over 135 exhibitors from Saudi, regional, and international companies that showcase the latest developments in health services and medical equipment technologies.

The Global Health Congress attracts more than 8,000 specialists representing various medical trademarks and specialists in the sector.

The congress is discussing the means of developing and benefiting most from the current status of healthcare so as to make the best use of the currently available potential and capabilities in hospitals and healthcare centers.

The exhibition is witnessing the participation of the most important institutions concerned with health services such as the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabian General Investments Authority (SAGIA), Saudi Health Council, Cooperative Health Council, Saudi Center for Health Facilities Accreditation and the Saudi Center for Patients' Safety.

Source: International Islamic News Agency