The largest science laboratory in the Middle East will open in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the health ministry has announced.
“This giant premises, established at a cost of SR385 million [$100m], will be a reference laboratory for the entire Kingdom and will provide tertiary and fourth level advanced test services,” deputy health minister Ibrahim Al Omar was quoted as saying by Arab News.
The state-of-the-art laboratory would accommodate up to 500 people and would be equipped for advanced biohazard security and prevention measures, according to international standards, Al Omar said.
The facility is expected to be particularly used in the fight against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which has infected about 900 people in the kingdom since it was first detected in September, 2012.
The fatal virus originated in Saudi Arabia but health authorities have struggled to understand how it spreads to humans or to find a cure.
The kingdom is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to improve its health facilities, which until recent years had been poor.
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