Ahmed HamoudaAhmed Hamouda is the Head of Clinical Operations in the Middle East and Africa at RAY. In more than 10 years in the clinical research field, Ahmed has worked on both the CRO side and the pharmaceutical side in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa. Ahmed brings the full range of his experience to bear at RAY, which provides outsourcing and consulting services to support pharmaceutical and biotech companies through the clinical trial development process. With RAY, Ahmed leverages his expertise to bring hope and opportunity to patient populations who would not otherwise be reached.Episode Highlights Why Africa and Middle Eastern markets represent a major opportunity for sponsorsWhat regulations and unique requirements sponsors need to understand before moving into these marketsHow the site selection and preparation process is different in these markets as opposed to in the U.S.The importance of partnering with qualified regional experts The challenges involved in driving patient participation in these regionsHow one rare disease clinical trial was saved by a move from the U.S. to the Middle East, and how that move paid off in terms of recruitmentPotential logistical issues with global trials and how RAY manages themWhy continuous education is so important for sitesHow Ahmed and RAY estimate the timeframe for study startup in a new regionThe unexpected positive regional outcomes of the pandemic  Resources:Ray-CRO Ahmed Hamouda on LinkedInConversations in Clinical Trial Readiness Interview Series