The activities of the First Arab Conference entitled “ Food, Drug & Medical Devices: Ambitions and Challenges” is launched this morning in Sharm Alsheikh,  Arab Republic of Egypt. The conference is held by SFDA in collaboration with the Arab Administrative Development Organization , GCC Ministers of Health Council and its Executive Office, under the auspice of Dr. Nabil Al Arabi, General Secretary of the Arab League

The inauguration was attended by H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Kanhal, CEO of Food & Drug Authority, Dr. Mohammed Mustafa Hamid, Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq bin Ahmed Khoja, Executive Office GM of the GCC Ministers of Health Council, Mr. Rifaat Al Faouri, GM – Arab Administrative Development Organization, Dr. Saleh bin Sulaiman Al Tayar, SFDA Vice President for  Medical Devices & Products,-KSA, Chairman of the Conference Scientific Committee, representative of major international drug companies and several parties concerned with food and drug control authorities worldwide.

At his part, Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Kanhal explained that the government of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques saved no effort to provide all the necessary facilities and removed all obstacles to establish an effective control authority to to ensure safety of food, safety and efficacy if drug and safety  and efficiency of medical devices and products, looking forward to establish similar Control Authority in the Arab World to cater for the safety of food, drug and medical devices and products and to safe guard consumer health in the Arab World, in addition to development of food, drug & medical device industry to compete with international industries, as part of realization of food and drug security in view of the required legislations by such authorities for such industries.

The food  scientific program will discuss in day 1- in the dimension of food regulations, a number of important issues such as the fundamental food regulations from the food constitution committee perspective, by Mr. Raymond Orwork, food  advocate- Ireland, and presentation of the Kingdom’s experience in issuing a national food cod, by Dr. Mustafa Qasim, Executive Director of SFDA’s Laboratories.

The drug scientific program will discuss in day 1- in the dimension of the experience  of GCC & Arab drug control authorities and the concept of patients safety in pharmaceutical care; the experience of the Egyptian drug control authority and the position of Medical Control Authority in the Middle East Region.

The medical devices & products sector program will present in day 1- the experience  of control authorities in the field of medical devices & products in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt.

 It is noteworthy that the purpose of this conference, which lasts for three days, is to reach practical solutions for the protection of Arab citizens health, to secure healthy food, safe drug and  medical technologies that provide outstanding medical care. However, 36 countries are participating in this conference in addition to more than 82 Arab experts in the fields of food, drug and medical devices.