Crown Prince to Patronize 3rd Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit on November 10-12

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman,  (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, (SPA)
TT

Crown Prince to Patronize 3rd Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit on November 10-12

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman,  (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, (SPA)

The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, is organizing the third edition of the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit (RGMBS) 2024, taking place in Riyadh from November 10 to 12.

The event is held under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The RGMBS aims to strengthen the national economy and promote sustainable development, aligning with the National Biotechnology Strategy launched by the Crown Prince this year.

According to SPA, this strategy envisions Saudi Arabia as a leading regional hub in biotechnology by 2030 and a global leader by 2040.
The summit will feature global experts and leading biotech companies from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, China, Republic of Korea, and Japan, as well as prominent academic institutions and organizations.
The previous summit resulted in 11 collaborative agreements with international entities in medical technology research and vaccine production. It hosted 68 speakers and attracted over 14,300 participants from 128 countries.

 



Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.