By Dr. Mubarak Almansour, Acting Chairman, Oncology Department, and Consultant, Adult Medical Oncology, Princess Noorah Oncology Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
A transformation is underway in cancer care, one that is fundamentally reshaping how we approach and treat different cancers. While oncology is evolving at breakneck speed globally, Saudi Arabia is making significant strides in aligning the essential elements required for lasting impact in cancer care. This is evidenced by improved regulatory pathways, investments in cutting-edge technology, specialized centres, and a focus on both treatment and research.
This is no coincidence. Guided by Vision 2030, the Kingdom has moved decisively to not just adopt international best practices, but to localize and integrate them in ways that resonate with the realities of our population, our culture, and our healthcare system.
What sets Saudi Arabia apart is not only the scale of investment, but the precision of its strategy. Rather than relying on isolated reforms, the Kingdom has activated a range of interconnected drivers: regulatory evolution, research and localized innovation, public-private partnerships, digital health, integrated standards, and global knowledge exchange, all working together to transform cancer care from the ground up.
Together, these six pillars form the foundation of Saudi Arabia’s blueprint for advancing oncology, one that holds promise not just for patients in the Kingdom, but for improving cancer outcomes across the wider Middle East.
Regulatory evolution and market access: Foundations for innovation
The rapid pace of oncology innovation, particularly in cellular and gene therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy, requires a nimble and forward-looking regulatory system.
Saudi Arabia has responded with purpose. Accelerated approval pathways, specialized frameworks for advanced biologics, and alignment with global safety and efficacy standards have created a regulatory environment where innovation can flourish. This isn’t just about speed, it’s also about ensuring that transformative therapies reach patients safely and efficiently.
This environment of regulatory agility is helping to unlock the potential of the local immunotherapy market, which is projected to reach USD 2493.8 million by 2033. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.45% (2025-2033), Saudi Arabia is emerging as a high-growth hub for advanced cancer treatments in the region.
Research and localized innovation: Turning discovery into access
Research and innovation are the engine rooms of progress. In Saudi Arabia, universities, research centres, and health systems are increasingly aligned to accelerate the translation of science into clinical application, especially in immunotherapy, precision medicine, and hematologic cancers.
A powerful example of this strategic alignment is attracting and operationalizing global expertise – for example, the Saudi Oncology Society’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gilead Sciences exemplifies how international pharmaceutical leadership can be effectively paired with local clinical insight. The collaboration aims to expand access to clinical trials and accelerate the adoption of novel therapies for both solid tumours and blood cancers.
Public-private partnerships: Shared value, shared responsibility
Tackling the cancer burden requires deep and sustained collaboration between government, academia, and industry. Saudi Arabia has embraced this truth, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become a defining feature of its oncology evolution.
This is best illustrated by its longstanding collaboration with the U.S.-based National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) for Oncology. Since 2010, the Kingdom has hosted the only NCCN coordination centre outside the United States, focusing on the adaptation of global guidelines to the Middle East and North Africa. This includes evolving standards of care for complex blood cancers, integrating newer modalities like CAR T-cell therapy into clinical pathways, and ensuring equitable access through context-appropriate protocols.
Digital health and data: Accelerating precision and access
Digital innovation is revolutionizing every aspect of cancer care, from early detection and diagnosis to treatment monitoring and patient support.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now enhancing diagnostic accuracy, guiding treatment decisions, and identifying at-risk populations with unprecedented speed. AI-powered imaging and predictive analytics are particularly valuable in haematology, where subtle changes in blood markers or bone marrow biopsies can dramatically influence diagnosis and therapy selection.
At the policy level, national cancer registries are enabling precision planning, especially for rapidly evolving therapeutic areas like lymphoma and leukaemia. These tools are critical in mapping real-world outcomes of CAR T-cell therapies and other advanced modalities.
Public awareness campaigns, delivered through digital platforms, are helping shift perceptions and promote screening – not only for common cancers like breast or colorectal but increasingly for blood-related malignancies that are less understood by the public.
Integrated standards and multidisciplinary expertise
Saudi Arabia’s approach to adopting global standards is notable not just for what it derives its inspiration, but for how it adapts.
National screening programs are evolving beyond breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers to include hematologic risk profiling for high-risk populations. This is particularly vital for inherited blood cancers and immunodeficiencies, where early intervention can dramatically improve prognosis.
The Saudi National Cancer Institute and affiliated societies have developed evidence-based protocols tailored to both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies, ensuring equitable access to quality care across the country1. The emphasis on multidisciplinary care further elevates treatment quality – tumour boards for hematologic cancers increasingly include hematopathologists, transplant specialists, and cell therapy coordinators to ensure comprehensive, individualized planning.
Global knowledge exchange: Fuel for sustainable progress
Oncology practice in Saudi Arabia is distinguished by professionalism and scientific rigor. Investment in medical education, specialist training, and knowledge exchange has been a cornerstone of progress.
Oncologists have trained in leading academic institutions in North America and Europe, bringing back critical expertise that has helped elevate the Kingdom’s cancer care standards.
The International Lymphoma Conference (ILC), founded in 2018, plays a critical role in advancing the understanding and treatment of blood cancers. Its 2025 edition brought together more than 4,000 participants from across Saudi Arabia and internationally unifying global experts, regional clinicians, and policymakers around best practices in haematology.
With a focus on lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and novel therapies like CAR T-cell therapy, the ILC continues to serve as a catalyst for elevating care and accelerating access across the region.
Looking ahead – a vision for equitable and personalized cancer care
The KSA Ministry of Health continues to lead with a holistic and inclusive vision. New cancer centres are expanding access to advanced therapies, including cell and gene therapies. Ongoing training ensures clinicians stay ahead of evolving science. Sustained investment in research and awareness is helping reduce risk factors and shift public perception around early detection.
Efforts are also underway to extend cancer services to rural and underserved regions through mobile screening units, and community outreach programs. These efforts are reinforced by sustained funding for research and comprehensive awareness campaigns, which help reduce risk factors and promote early detection.
With a solid foundation in place, the Kingdom is poised to lead a broader regional transformation grounded in personalization, equity, and innovation. Through the convergence of the six transformation pillars that form Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive blueprint for cancer care: regulatory evolution and market access, research and localized innovation, public-private partnerships, digital health and data, integrated standards and multidisciplinary expertise, and global knowledge exchange, the Kingdom is redefining what cancer care can look like in the Middle East …and beyond.
About the author
Dr. Mubarak Almansour is an esteemed medical oncologist and academic leader in Saudi Arabia. He currently serves as Acting Chairman of the Oncology Department at Princess Noorah Oncology Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, KSA, and is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine/Oncology at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. As a key opinion leader in lymphoma care, Dr. Almansour has played a pivotal role in shaping national oncology strategies and is the founding chairman of the International Lymphoma Conference. His contributions span clinical practice, education, and research, with numerous publications and leadership roles in regional and international oncology forums.
References
1 https://shc.gov.sa/en/NCC/Activities/Pages/NationalClinicalGuideline.aspx
