This 2025 study surveyed 74 pharmaceutical industry professionals with experience in the UAE and/or KSA to examine how Medical Affairs is perceived across the product lifecycle. Ninety-six percent agreed that companies with an active local Medical Affairs team are more successful in launching innovative medicines, while 92% agreed that Medical helps other functions achieve business objectives. However, perceptions differed significantly between functions at launch and post-launch, and Medical professionals rated their own understanding of the function significantly higher than Sales and other colleagues. Three future priorities emerged from thematic analysis: stronger stakeholder management, digital and AI leadership, and deeper cross-functional leadership. The study also provides practical regional benchmarks, including an expected 50–70% field-time range for MSLs and a median recommendation of 20–30 KOLs per MSL.