When is BIO Middle East 2026 and what are the opening hours?

14–16 December 2026. 14 and 15 December run 9:00 AM–7:00 PM, and 16 December runs 9:00 AM–6:00 PM.

At the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre in Malham, Saudi Arabia, co-located with CPHI Middle East.

Does it cost anything to attend?

No. Registered visitors get free entry.

Is there an age limit?

Yes. It is a trade event, so no one under 18 may enter, except infants in arms accompanied by an adult.

International visitors need a visa for Saudi Arabia. The event's travel page has the details.

BIO Middle East 2026

Name: BIO Middle East 2026
Start: 2026-12-14T09:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-12-16T18:00:00+00:00
Location: Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre (Malham)

About this event

BIO Middle East is the region's biotechnology and life sciences platform for partnering, business matchmaking and public-private collaboration, organised by Tahaluf and supported by the Saudi Ministry of Health. Co-located with CPHI Middle East in Riyadh, it uses the partneringONE® system to set up curated one-to-one meetings for licensing, partnerships and investment deals, alongside an agenda on cell and gene therapies, mRNA, next-generation vaccines and biomanufacturing.

Who attends

The event aims to cover the whole biotech value chain, from research to deployment.

Pharma and biopharma companies
Biotech startups and SMEs
Investors, VCs and accelerators
CDMOs and biomanufacturers
Vaccine developers
Research institutes and hospitals
Lab equipment suppliers
Regulators and government bodies

Three conference stages

The programme runs across three stages.

Main Stage: leadership keynotes and panels on biotech ecosystems and commercialisation
Technical Stage: vaccines, mRNA, cell and gene therapies, clinical trials, regulation and GMP
Innovation Pitches Stage: startups, SMEs and research centres pitch to investors and pharma business development teams over three days

Partnering and networking

The Biotech Partnering Programme runs on partneringONE®, with pre-scheduled meetings matched through attendee profiles. Curated networking side events and a start-up market round out the format.

Speakers

2026 speakers include HRH Haya Al Saud of the Hevolution Foundation, SPIMACO vice chairman Ahmed Aljedai, Novartis APMA president Judith Love, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine CEO Timothy Hunt, Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult chief executive Matthew Durdy, and leaders from Amgen, Gilead, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, CEPI, Gavi, KAUST and KFSHRC.

Co-located with CPHI Middle East

Together, BIO Middle East and CPHI Middle East expect more than 60,000 visitors, 1,000+ exhibiting brands from 100+ countries and 310 speakers, giving access to both the pharma supply chain and the biotech community in one venue.