Amman, June 28 (Petra) – Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical group, concluded its high-level participation at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC) 2026, held in Dalian, China, under the theme "Innovating at Scale." The summit convened heads of state, ministers, and global business and civil society leaders to address economic and industrial priorities for the next decade, with a focus on supply chain resilience, healthcare security, and emerging-market growth trajectories.
Mazen Darwazeh, Executive Vice Chairman and Deputy CEO of Hikma MENA, attended as Co-Chair of the AMNC, joining heads of state and global industry leaders to shape the forum's agenda across formal and informal high-level exchanges.
Serving as a key pharmaceutical industry expert and private sector representative on the panel "What's Next for the Middle East?", Darwazeh explored strategies for building regional prosperity, including rebuilding infrastructure in conflict zones amid shifting geoeconomic realities, energy transitions, supply chain disruptions, and evolving trade and transportation routes. He spoke alongside GCC business leaders and prominent scholars, including Sanam Vakil (Director of the MENA Programme at Chatham House), Lina Noureddin (President and Founder of Lamar Holding), Khaled Sharbatly (CEO of Desert Technologies), and moderator Karen E. Young (Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy).
Drawing on Hikma's nearly 50 years of pharmaceutical manufacturing rooted in the MENA region, Darwazeh noted that despite enduring constant unrest, regional conflicts, and a global pandemic, the region has remained remarkably resilient. He emphasized that the Levant, Saudi Arabia, and the broader GCC have consistently developed and achieved significant success across multiple industrial sectors.
Darwazeh also contributed to the panel "Farm to Pharma: Tackling Superbugs Together," addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a complex challenge sitting at the intersection of access, manufacturing, and systems design. He stressed the urgent need to build cross-sector mechanisms that connect prevention to treatment and scale innovation to delivery.
Commenting on Hikma's participation at the forum, Darwazeh said: "The Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian is one of the most consequential forums for the future of industry, global health, and transnational business alliances. The conversation now centers around joint manufacturing capability, technology transfer, open economies, and free trade agreements to allow for cross-border cooperation, creating positive momentum that benefits the global community." The strengthening MENA – China relationship emerged as a central theme throughout the forum's agenda. Discussions highlighted a clear shift from traditional commerce toward strategic co-investment in manufacturing, technology transfer, and joint capability-building in life sciences and advanced industries.
During the summit, Darwazeh was also featured on The Mo Show, part of the Davos on Air podcast series recorded live at the AMNC. The wide-ranging conversation covered Hikma's journey from its founding in Amman to its current position as a global pharmaceutical leader listed on the London Stock Exchange.
//Petra// AA
