VetTech

Summary

The VetTech Conference “Empowering Livestock Economies through Health Innovation and Technology”, held on 2–3 December 2025 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, brought together more than 200 participants from government, industry, academia, and international organizations. The event was jointly organized by the National Livestock & Fisheries Development Program (NLFDP), the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), and the TAFS Forum.

With a focus on the Gulf region, and in the context of globally increasing animal disease risks, the conference provided a forward-looking platform to explore how scientific innovation and emerging technologies can strengthen animal health systems, support food security, and enhance economic resilience. Across four sessions, speakers emphasized the urgent need to shift from reactive outbreak response toward proactive, technology-enabled disease prevention.

Key takeaways from the conference:

• Animal diseases are increasing in frequency and complexity, driven by climate change, globalization, and intensified production systems, requiring adaptive and forward-looking control strategies.
• Under-investment in animal health is the most expensive policy option; prevention consistently delivers higher economic returns than outbreak response.
• High-quality vaccines remain a cornerstone of disease control but must be integrated in broader strategies that include surveillance, strong veterinary services, and regulatory support.
• Early detection is critical: decentralized diagnostics, Point-of-Care Testing, and improved data sharing can significantly strengthen preparedness and response.
• Technology and data are powerful enablers of resilience, from real-time animal movement monitoring to AI-supported predictive modelling.
• Human capacity development is essential: Continuous Education ensures that veterinary professionals can effectively apply new tools and technologies.
• Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly vital for scaling innovation, sharing risk, and securing sustainable financing.
• Regional cooperation and One Health integration are indispensable given the transboundary nature of animal diseases and their impact in the wider ecosystem.

One message resonated strongly throughout the conference:
Strategic investment in animal health is not a cost, but a high-impact investment that strengthens food security, trade, public health, and long-term system resilience.

Conference highlights

Session 1 – The Importance of Investing in Animal Health

The opening session outlined the evolving global animal disease landscape and highlighted the economic case for sustained investment in prevention.

Session 2– Strengthening Disease Control and Prevention

This session focused on the operational foundations of effective disease control: vaccination, workforce development, and collaboration.

Session 3– Diagnostics for One Health Pathogens: From R&D to Market

This session explored how diagnostics are moving closer to the field, enabling faster detection and more timely outbreaks response.

Session 4 – New Technologies for Better Disease Control

The final session showcased how digital tools, advanced diagnostics, data analytics and artificial intelligence are transforming disease surveillance and supporting more informed decision-making.

The VetTech Conference reaffirmed that animal health is a strategic investment, central to economic stability, food security, and public health. Participants consistently highlighted depends on a shift toward proactive prevention.

The conference also catalysed important discussions on innovative financing mechanisms, integrated One Health approaches, and the strategic use of biotechnology and digital tools to build future-ready animal health systems.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Presentation links:

Prof. Dr. Ueli Kihm: Global Animal Disease Trends and the Case for Investing in Animal Health
Dr. Bouda Vosough Ahmadi: Economic and Socioeconomic Impact of Animal Diseases
Prof. Dr. Arthur Summerfield: The Immune System: A Blueprint for Better Disease Prevention
Dr. Esteban Turic: The Role of Vaccination in Preventing Transboundary Animal Diseases
Prof. Dr. Wael El-Deep: Continuous Education and Training in Veterinary Medicine
Patrik Buholzer: Public–Private Cooperation in Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Caitlin Thompson: Lateral Flow Tests for One Health and Point-of-Care Diagnostics
Dr. Hatim Almutairi & Dr. Suliman Alajel: Next-Level Diagnostics: From Genomics to CRISPR-Based Testing
Corlena Patterson: Monitoring Animal Movements for Rapid Outbreak Response
Dr. Pablo Valdes Donoso: Harnessing Data, AI, and Big Data for Animal Health