Cinfa opens UAE Scientific Office to advance pharmaceutical localization
The approach will allow Cinfa to build its regional operations incrementally while developing expertise and infrastructure within the UAE.
UAE—Spanish pharmaceutical company Cinfa has opened a Scientific Office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to strengthen local pharmaceutical capabilities and support the country’s healthcare priorities.
The launch marks a new phase in the company’s regional strategy, with the UAE set to become its first localization hub outside Spain after more than a decade of operations in the Middle East.
Phased localization strategy
Cinfa plans to develop the hub through a phased model involving local partners.
Initial activities will focus on scientific and regulatory capabilities, followed by secondary packaging and batch release.
The company also intends to introduce technology transfer and selected local manufacturing activities progressively, depending on local partnerships and operational requirements.
The approach will allow Cinfa to build its regional operations incrementally while developing expertise and infrastructure within the UAE.
It also reflects the growing role of partnerships in pharmaceutical localization, as international manufacturers work with local stakeholders to strengthen supply chains and expand domestic industrial capacity.
Franc Vives Ribera, chief international officer at Cinfa Group, said the UAE has created an environment where international expertise and national priorities can support long-term healthcare capability development.
He added that the Scientific Office would support the country’s healthcare vision through closer scientific collaboration, local knowledge development and a more integrated approach to delivering medicines to patients.
Strengthening regulatory and scientific capabilities
The office will support local expertise in regulatory affairs, quality assurance and pharmacovigilance.
Cinfa also plans to work more closely with government authorities, healthcare institutions and other national stakeholders to facilitate the exchange of scientific and regulatory knowledge.
These activities are important as pharmaceutical companies navigate national regulatory requirements, product quality standards and medicine safety obligations.
Building local capabilities could also help establish the operational foundations needed for subsequent stages of localization, including technology transfer and selected manufacturing activities.
Aligning product development with UAE requirements
Cinfa is also adjusting its product development and regulatory planning processes to account for UAE market requirements earlier.
Previously, the company primarily developed products with European markets in mind before introducing them to the region.
Under this evolving approach, the company will consider local requirements earlier in development and regulatory planning.
This change aims to better align with market needs and support earlier patient access to relevant treatments.
Incorporating local regulatory considerations sooner may also help the company plan product registrations and market entry more effectively.
Supporting the UAE’s life sciences ambitions
The initiative comes as the UAE seeks to strengthen its position as a regional centre for life sciences and pharmaceutical innovation.
National frameworks, including UAE Vision 2031, emphasize economic diversification, knowledge development and stronger domestic industrial capabilities.
Pharmaceutical localization forms part of this broader agenda, with implications for supply chain resilience, regulatory expertise and the development of skilled local workforces.
For international manufacturers, partnerships with domestic stakeholders offer a route to build a stronger regional presence while aligning operations with national priorities.
Cinfa entered the Middle East through the UAE in 2013 and has since expanded into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iraq.
The company currently markets more than 100 product references across the region, covering treatments for a range of diseases prevalent in the UAE.
The new Scientific Office provides a local base for expanding scientific collaboration and advancing the next stages of its pharmaceutical localization plans.
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