MANAMA – October 27, 2025: Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat has partnered with US-based SandboxAQ, a global leader in artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, to develop a $1 billion biotech hub that will accelerate drug discovery and innovation in the Kingdom.
The partnership enables Bahrain to license SandboxAQ’s advanced quantitative AI models, which merge physics, chemistry, and biology to speed up the discovery of new drugs and therapies. The agreement was announced during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh and marks one of the region’s most ambitious biotech initiatives.
Under the three-year programme, a joint research committee will oversee the creation of new biotech assets focused on diseases prevalent in the region, including diabetes and genetic disorders.
Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO of Mumtalakat, said the collaboration reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to economic diversification and healthcare innovation, laying the groundwork for a knowledge-based biotech economy.
Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, emphasized that the partnership gives Bahrain the ability to develop and own intellectual property in the life sciences sector — an important step toward regional biotech self-sufficiency.
The initiative will leverage Bahrain’s digital health infrastructure and local clinical networks for drug testing and validation, with trials expected to begin domestically. It also builds on SandboxAQ’s growing presence in the Gulf following its quantum technology collaborations with Saudi Aramco.
Through this partnership, Bahrain aims to position itself as a regional leader in AI-driven drug discovery, attracting global investment and creating a high-value biotech ecosystem that combines AI, quantum computing, and healthcare innovation.
