(Yicai Global) July 28 -- BGI Genomics, a Chinese gene sequencing giant, and health services provider Tibbiyah Holding have established a joint venture in Saudi Arabia to further develop the Middle Eastern country’s market for third-party medical tests.

The new company, Saudi Advanced Medical Lab, will provide clinical laboratory testing services, medical technology, and precision medicine services, Shenzhen-based BGI said via WeChat yesterday, without disclosing financial of shareholding details of the JV.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, BGI has been working with Saudi Arabia’s health ministry on a full range of projects, including a Covid polymerase chain reaction testing program and a system to track new strains. In the past two years, BGI has analyzed more than 18 million PCR tests in five local Huo-Yan Laboratories, it said.

According to the company’s website, the PCR test kit provided by BGI helped Saudi Arabia detect the country’s first confirmed case of monkeypox earlier this month. Since the monkeypox outbreak began in May, more than 16,000 cases have been reported in 75 countries and regions, according to the World Health Organization.

BGI said Tibbiyah is a healthcare provider owned by Al Faisaliah Group. With its affiliates, the company has delivered hundreds of big healthcare projects in Saudi Arabia since 1973

BGI has been expanding in overseas markets in recent years to cover over 100 countries and regions , according to its website. The Chinese firm also works with more than 3,000 foreign medical and scientific research institutions.

Shares of BGI [SHE: 300676] ended little changed today at CNY64.02 (USD9.49) each.

Editor: Futura Costaglione