ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s globally recognized surgical instruments industry is eyeing Saudi Arabia as a “lucrative” growth market, as the Kingdom ramps up investment in health care infrastructure under its Vision 2030 reform agenda, an industry representative said.
Pakistan ranks among the world’s leading exporters of surgical instruments, with most production concentrated in the eastern city of Sialkot. The sector exported instruments worth around $445 million last year, according to the Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SIMAP), supplying hospitals and distributors across Europe, North America and parts of Asia.
Exports to Saudi Arabia, however, have remained relatively limited, despite the Kingdom’s growing health care needs and expanding hospital network.
That is beginning to change as Saudi Arabia accelerates health care investment under Vision 2030, a sweeping economic transformation plan aimed at reducing dependence on oil and expanding public services. The strategy includes large-scale hospital construction, greater private-sector participation in health care delivery, and plans to position the Kingdom as a regional hub for medical treatment and tourism. Industry analysts say this expansion is expected to drive sustained demand for imported medical equipment and surgical instruments.
