Middle East and Africa Nuclear Medicine Market - Strategic Insights and Forecasts (2026-2031)

The Middle East & Africa nuclear medicine market is projected to increase from USD 780.0 million in 2026 to USD 1,270 million in 2031, representing a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period.

The regional market is concentrated in a relatively small number of healthcare systems with established nuclear medicine infrastructure. Saudi Arabia has developed a national hub-and-spoke model around King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), whose Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceuticals Department operates three cyclotrons and supplies ready-to-use doses of more than 30 radiopharmaceuticals to around 50 hospitals. In January 2026, KFSHRC launched air transport for short-half-life radiopharmaceuticals after a successful Riyadh-to-Jeddah pilot, extending the practical reach of centralized production. The institution reported that its radiopharmaceutical program has supplied more than 800,000 patient doses over its operating history.

South Africa provides a different form of regional strength. NTP Radioisotopes, a Necsa subsidiary, is among the world's leading producers of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and supplies up to a third of global demand. Its facilities also produce technetium-99m generators, iodine-131, fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), lutetium-177 products and patient-ready doses for the local market. Kenya is also extending PET access: Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH) operates a public cyclotron, produces FDG for its own PET/CT service and distributes doses to other hospitals. These investments are widening access, but advanced nuclear medicine remains concentrated in metropolitan referral centres across much of Africa.

Selected Segment Estimates

Market Dynamics

• Expansion of Oncology Infrastructure Increases Molecular-Imaging Demand

Cancer-care investment is increasing demand for functional imaging used in diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and response assessment. Saudi Arabia's expansion of oncology capacity illustrates the trend: in August 2026, the Malhi bin Salama Oncology Center at King Khalid University Medical City opened with integrated diagnostic nuclear medicine alongside surgical, radiation and medical oncology services. PET/CT is also increasingly embedded in major referral centres, supporting more precise evaluation of malignancies and selected neurological and cardiovascular conditions.

• Regional Radiopharmaceutical Production Reduces Supply Constraints

Short half-lives make radiopharmaceutical logistics a defining feature of the market. Saudi Arabia's centralized production and newly authorized air-transport model reduces the need to duplicate expensive cyclotron infrastructure in every city. South Africa benefits from a vertically integrated isotope and radiopharmaceutical ecosystem at Pelindaba, while Kenya's KUTRRH is distributing locally produced FDG to external PET/CT centres. These models improve the economics of nuclear medicine by increasing the number of facilities that can access time-sensitive products without building full production capability on site.

• Theranostics Adds Higher-Value Procedures

Nuclear medicine is expanding beyond conventional diagnostic imaging toward paired diagnostic and therapeutic pathways. KFSHRC provides gallium-68 imaging and lutetium-177 therapies, while NTP's current product portfolio includes lutetium-177 dotatate and PSMA products. In South Africa, Necsa and Sibanye-Stillwater announced a 2026 research collaboration to develop palladium-103 from rhodium for targeted cancer applications. These activities raise the clinical and commercial value of nuclear medicine departments even when overall scanner counts grow more slowly.

• High Capital Cost, Workforce Availability and Logistics Limit Broader Access

PET/CT and SPECT/CT systems require substantial capital spending, radiation-shielded facilities, licensed radiopharmacies and specialized teams spanning physicians, technologists, medical physicists and radiopharmacists. Access therefore remains uneven across lower-income African markets and outside major Gulf cities. Radiopharmaceutical distribution also requires strict transport controls and predictable delivery windows. Kenya's 2026 reporting on FDG transport from KUTRRH highlights both the opportunity and the operational complexity created when a single cyclotron serves several hospitals.

Segment Analysis

By Technology - SPECT

SPECT accounts for approximately USD 452.4 million in 2026 and remains the largest technology segment. Technetium-99m is used globally in more than 80% of nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures, and the same clinical breadth supports its regional role in bone, cardiac, renal, thyroid and pulmonary imaging. Growth comes primarily from replacement of standalone gamma-camera systems with SPECT/CT, improvements in detector sensitivity and expansion of routine nuclear medicine into additional secondary and tertiary hospitals. South Africa's established technetium supply chain and Saudi Arabia's broad radiopharmaceutical network underpin recurring procedure demand.

By Technology - PET

PET represents approximately USD 327.6 million in 2026 and is expected to grow faster than SPECT through 2031. Oncology is the principal driver, with FDG remaining the core tracer while gallium-68 and PSMA imaging expand in prostate and neuroendocrine cancer pathways. PET's higher value per procedure, increasing use of hybrid PET/CT and the connection between diagnostic PET and targeted radionuclide therapy support revenue growth. Expansion depends on cyclotron access or reliable distribution because many PET tracers have very short half-lives.

By End User - Hospitals

Hospitals account for approximately 60% of 2026 revenue because nuclear medicine is most valuable when integrated with oncology, cardiology, endocrinology, neurology and surgery. Major tertiary institutions can justify high-capital hybrid scanners, shielded hot laboratories and specialist staffing while supporting both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Independent imaging centres remain important in wealthier urban markets, particularly for outpatient PET/CT, but hospitals retain the strongest position in advanced theranostics and complex patient management.

Market and Demand Indicators

Saudi Arabia Market Analysis

Saudi Arabia accounts for approximately 29% of Middle East & Africa nuclear medicine revenue in 2026, equivalent to about USD 226.2 million. The country's lead reflects high healthcare spending, centralized specialist hospitals and an unusually developed radiopharmaceutical production network. KFSHRC's Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceuticals Department uses three cyclotrons to manufacture more than 30 PET and SPECT radiopharmaceuticals and supplies around 50 hospitals. Its clinical nuclear medicine service supports conventional SPECT/CT, PET/CT, iodine-131 therapy, yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy and lutetium-177-based treatments.

The market is broadening geographically. KFSHRC's January 2026 air-transport service creates a practical national distribution model for short-half-life products, while the Ministry of Health has continued adding advanced imaging capacity. King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah introduced PET/CT within Ministry facilities in the western region in 2025, and the Malhi bin Salama Oncology Center at King Khalid University Medical City opened in August 2026 with diagnostic nuclear medicine integrated into its cancer-care platform. These investments support continued growth in oncology imaging and theranostics while reducing reliance on a small number of Riyadh-based facilities.

Competitive Landscape

Competition includes imaging-system manufacturers, radiopharmaceutical suppliers, isotope producers and regional production institutions. GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers, Philips and United Imaging compete in PET/CT and SPECT/CT platforms. Curium, Bracco, Lantheus, Novartis Advanced Accelerator Applications, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Eckert & Ziegler and IBA participate in radiopharmaceuticals, isotope supply or production technologies. Regionally, NTP Radioisotopes is strategically important because of its integrated reactor, processing and distribution capabilities, while Isotopia Molecular Imaging contributes radiopharmaceutical expertise from Israel.

Supplier differentiation increasingly depends on the ability to support complete molecular-imaging pathways rather than hardware alone. Hospitals require scanner performance, tracer availability, service coverage, quality assurance and staff training to operate reliably. Theranostics adds another layer because diagnostic tracers and therapeutic radioligands must be coordinated with radiation safety, patient selection and follow-up imaging. Vendors with local service teams, dependable isotope logistics and established regulatory pathways are therefore better positioned than companies offering isolated products.

Recent Developments

• September 2026: South Africa highlighted Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure work in precision imaging and therapy during international scientific cooperation events.

• April 2026: Necsa and Sibanye-Stillwater announced a collaboration to develop high-purity palladium-103 for targeted radionuclide therapy applications.

• March 2026: KUTRRH reported routine FDG production and distribution from its public cyclotron to multiple PET/CT centres in Kenya.

• January 2026: KFSHRC launched air transport for short-half-life radiopharmaceuticals following a successful Riyadh-to-Jeddah pilot.

• June 2026: Dubai's specialty-hospital standards took effect with PET and nuclear medicine included within diagnostic imaging service requirements.

Middle East and Africa Nuclear Medicine Market Scope: