MS Pharma has secured a minority equity investment from Olayan Financing Company, setting up a new strategic partnership aimed at supporting the pharmaceutical company’s next phase of growth. The announcement, made on May 18, 2026 from Amman and Riyadh, positions OFC as a long-term partner for MS Pharma as the company looks to deepen its role in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA healthcare market. Available media coverage of the announcement framed the deal as a growth move focused on Saudi expansion, biosimilars and manufacturing capacity.
Investment Structure
The transaction will see MS Pharma issue new share capital in exchange for a substantial cash investment from OFC, giving the Saudi investment group a minority stake in the company. The parties did not disclose the value of the investment in the materials reviewed, leaving the strategic rationale rather than the transaction size as the central point of the announcement. MS Pharma said the partnership also begins a long-term relationship between OFC and the company’s existing majority shareholders, who remain tied to the business.
Growth Strategy
MS Pharma plans to use the strengthened financial position to advance its regional growth agenda, including expansion of its biosimilars portfolio, manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience. CEO Kalle Kaend described the investment as arriving at an important point for the company, with the funding expected to support deeper biologics expertise and broader reach in Saudi Arabia and across MENA. The company also expects to benefit from OFC’s operating experience, investment background and established Saudi network as it pursues those goals.
Biologics and Localization
The partnership places particular emphasis on MS Pharma’s biologics platform in Saudi Arabia, where the company says its site became the first facility in the Kingdom to receive SFDA GMP approval for biologics manufacturing. MS Pharma also said it plans this year to become the first supplier of locally manufactured biologics to the Saudi market, a milestone that would strengthen its localization credentials. The move aligns with Saudi Arabia’s National Biotechnology Strategy, which highlights self-sufficiency, innovation and biomanufacturing as priorities under Vision 2030.
Company Profiles
MS Pharma is a regional pharmaceutical company focused on the development, production and distribution of generic and biologic therapies, with operations spanning Jordan, Algeria and Saudi Arabia. The company says it employs more than 2,000 people across 12 countries, while its own website describes a broad portfolio across therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, central nervous system, respiratory and oncology treatments. OFC, founded from the Olayan business legacy that began in 1947, presents itself as a long-term investor with interests across listed equities, private equity, real estate and strategic partnerships.
The investment is notable because it links a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing platform with a Saudi strategic investor at a time when localization, biologics and resilient healthcare supply chains are gaining policy and commercial importance. For MS Pharma, the deal provides added capital and a partner that may help accelerate biosimilars, licensing partnerships and future export opportunities. For OFC, the minority stake extends its long-term investment approach into a healthcare company with established generics and biologics capabilities, though the deal’s ultimate impact will depend on execution, regulatory progress and market adoption.