Eurofins to acquire majority stake in Ajal for Laboratories, to expand its Food and Pharmaceutical products testing offering in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA), the global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing and in agroscience contract research services, announces it has entered into a partnership with the shareholders of Saudi Ajal, the parent company, to successfully complete the acquisition of a majority stake in Ajal for Laboratories, a food, tobacco and pharmaceutical testing laboratory based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“KSA”).

Ajal for Laboratories is one of the leading food and pharmaceutical testing laboratories in the KSA and the Gulf Cooperation Council area, generating around €15m revenue in 2021. Located in Riyadh, the laboratory comprises a 3,000 m² footprint and is equipped with state-of-the-art testing equipment and technology, facilitating GC/MS and LC/MS analytical techniques among others. In addition to having achieved ISO17025 accreditation, the laboratory is one of the few laboratories in the KSA to be approved by the SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority) and the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Agriculture.

Ajal for Laboratories was established in 2009 and has since grown quickly under the leadership of its Managing Director, Mohammed Al Soghaier, and its Chairman, Mohammed Al Sultan, to become one of the leading food and pharmaceutical laboratories in the region. Having worked together closely in the past, Eurofins and Ajal for Laboratories’ partnership will be further strengthened through this transaction. This is Eurofins’ first acquisition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and represents a commitment to building a network of local and regional laboratories to support customers in the Middle East, and the rapidly growing food production and biopharma sectors in the KSA. 

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About Eurofins – the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins is Testing for Life. Eurofins is the global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing, and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience Contract Research services. Eurofins is also a market leader in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in BioPharma Contract Development and Manufacturing. The Group also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products.

With 58,000 staff across a decentralised and entrepreneurial network of 900 laboratories in 54 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of a wide range of products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services and in-vitro diagnostic products.

The Group’s objective is to provide its customers with high-quality services, innovative solutions and accurate results on time. Eurofins is ideally positioned to support its clients’ increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the increasing demands of regulatory authorities as well as the requirements of healthcare practitioners around the world.

In 2020 and 2021, Eurofins reacted quickly to meet the global challenge of COVID-19, by creating the capacity to help over 20 million patients monthly who may have been impacted by the pandemic with our testing products and our services and directly supporting healthcare professionals working on the front line to fight the virus. The Group has established widespread PCR testing capabilities and has carried out over 40 million tests in its own laboratories, is supporting the development of a number of vaccines and has established its SAFER@WORK™ testing, monitoring and consulting programmes to help ensure safer environments, travel and events during COVID-19.

Eurofins has grown very strongly since its inception and its strategy is to continue expanding its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions.

Shares in Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0014000MR3, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP).

Until it has been lawfully made public widely by Eurofins through approved distribution channels, this document contains inside information for the purpose of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse, as amended.

Important disclaimer:

This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and estimates contained herein represent the judgment of Eurofins Scientific’s management as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this release may not occur. Eurofins Scientific disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements and estimates. All statements and estimates are made based on the information available to the Company’s management as of the date of publication, but no guarantees can be made as to their completeness or validity.

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