Arabian Ethicals champions pharmaceutical distribution at Sharjah’s ICPM 2026

UAE—Arabian Ethicals, a Ghobash Group enterprise, has participated in the International Conference on Pharmacy and Medicine (ICPM) held from January 20–22 in Sharjah.

The conference provided a crucial platform for addressing the evolving challenges and opportunities within the Middle East’s pharmaceutical and healthcare landscape.

Ebru Yavuz, General Manager of Arabian Ethicals, joined high-level discussions focusing on healthcare access, pharmaceutical innovation, and regulatory frameworks across the region.

Her participation underscored the company’s commitment to advancing healthcare delivery standards throughout the Middle East.

Bringing together key healthcare stakeholders

ICPM has established itself as a significant regional platform for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

The conference attracted regulators, manufacturers, healthcare providers, and industry stakeholders who gathered to examine priorities shaping modern healthcare delivery.

This diverse representation created an environment conducive to meaningful dialogue about the sector’s most pressing concerns.

During the event, Yavuz shared valuable insights on how pharmaceutical distribution ensures safe, compliant, and uninterrupted access to medicines across the region.

Her expertise highlighted the often underappreciated yet vital role that distribution plays in maintaining healthcare system functionality.

Understanding distribution as healthcare infrastructure

Yavuz delivered a presentation titled “Powering Healthcare Access: The Middle East Distribution Imperative,” which positioned distribution as a central pillar of the healthcare ecosystem.

She drew extensively on the UAE market context to illustrate how distributors function as the operational and regulatory bridge connecting global manufacturers, health authorities, and healthcare providers.

“Distribution is foundational to healthcare access,” Yavuz explained.

“In the UAE, it is the mechanism that ensures medicines are properly authorized, managed in line with regulatory standards, and consistently available, while safeguarding quality and patient safety.”

Navigating Complex Regulatory Requirements

Yavuz emphasized that pharmaceutical products cannot be legally imported, stored, or sold without an authorized distributor.

She outlined the distributor’s responsibility to maintain alignment with federal and local regulatory requirements, including product registration, dossier compliance, and ongoing pharmacovigilance measures to protect public safety.

These regulatory functions extend beyond simple paperwork.

They represent a comprehensive system ensuring that every medication reaching patients meets stringent quality and safety standards established by UAE health authorities.

Maintaining supply chain integrity in challenging conditions

A significant portion of the discussion centered on supply chain integrity and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliance.

Yavuz addressed the importance of validated cold-chain infrastructure, temperature monitoring, serialization, and traceability in preserving product quality.

These measures become particularly critical in extreme climate conditions and for temperature-sensitive therapies such as biologics, vaccines, and insulin.

The UAE’s climate presents unique challenges that require specialized infrastructure and rigorous protocols to maintain medication efficacy throughout the distribution process.

Ensuring continuous access across the Emirates

Yavuz also discussed the distributor’s role in supporting market access and ensuring continuity of supply across the UAE.

This includes tender participation, demand planning, forecasting, and inventory management.

These functions prove critical to maintaining uninterrupted availability of essential and chronic medications across hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare providers throughout all seven emirates.

Her contribution formed part of broader ICPM discussions examining how healthcare systems can balance innovation with regulatory rigor and operational resilience, reinforcing distribution as a foundational enabler of patient access.

Headquartered in Dubai, Arabian Ethicals works closely with international pharmaceutical partners to connect global innovation with local healthcare providers, ensuring compliant and reliable access to medicines across the UAE.