Bahrain Launches $1B AI and Quantum Drug Discovery Program
â–Ľ Summary
– Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat signed a $1 billion agreement with US-based SandboxAQ to establish the Kingdom as a regional biotech hub using AI and quantum technologies.
– The partnership will license SandboxAQ’s proprietary algorithms to accelerate drug discovery by integrating physics, chemistry, and biology for identifying new therapeutic compounds.
– A joint research committee will manage the three-year program to develop biotech assets and therapeutics, supported by Bahrain’s digital health infrastructure and hospital data networks.
– SandboxAQ’s CEO emphasized this enables Bahrain to generate and own intellectual property in drug development, focusing on regional diseases like diabetes and genetic disorders.
– The initiative aims to create over $1 billion in biotech assets, attract investments, and position Bahrain as a leading destination for AI-driven life sciences research.
In a major strategic push to establish itself as a center for biotechnology innovation, Bahrain has committed $1 billion to an artificial intelligence and quantum computing drug discovery initiative. The country’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, has entered into a landmark partnership with SandboxAQ, a prominent American firm specializing in AI and quantum technology. This collaboration is designed to transform the pharmaceutical research landscape by applying sophisticated quantitative AI systems and quantum simulation methods to speed up the development of new treatments.
The agreement was unveiled at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. Under its terms, Bahrain will gain access to SandboxAQ’s exclusive algorithms, which integrate principles from physics, chemistry, and biology. These tools are expected to significantly shorten the time required to identify promising new drug candidates.
A joint research committee will oversee the three-year program, focusing on creating innovative biotech assets and therapeutic solutions. The effort will be supported by Bahrain’s expanding digital health infrastructure and its network of hospital data systems.
Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, called the partnership a pivotal moment for biotech independence. He stressed that it allows Bahrain to produce and control valuable intellectual property in drug development, a field long controlled by a handful of multinational corporations. Hidary pointed out that the initiative will let Bahrain target diseases with significant regional prevalence, such as diabetes and genetic conditions, while also making meaningful contributions to worldwide biotech advances.
Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Mumtalakat’s CEO, said the project reflects Bahrain’s broader goal of diversifying its economy and building a knowledge-driven healthcare industry. The program aligns with the Kingdom’s forward-looking innovation agenda.
Clinical trials using SandboxAQ’s AI and quantum models are scheduled to start in Bahrain, with potential expansion to other research centers in the region. This agreement also represents another step in SandboxAQ’s growing presence in the Gulf, coming after its earlier collaboration with Saudi Aramco to implement quantum solutions in industrial settings.
The initiative is projected to generate over $1 billion in biotech assets, draw additional foreign investment, and help position Bahrain as a premier location for AI-powered life sciences and pharmaceutical research.
(Source: MEA Tech Watch)
