DoH Abu Dhabi partners with Abbott to localize pharma production in Abu Dhabi

UAE— The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the emirate’s healthcare regulator, has announced a significant partnership with global healthcare leader Abbott during the BIO International Convention in Boston, USA. .

 This collaboration aims to localize pharmaceutical manufacturing in Abu Dhabi and advance digital health solutions across the emirate.

By leveraging Abu Dhabi’s sophisticated life sciences infrastructure, the partnership marks a strategic step towards reducing reliance on imports, enhancing supply chain resilience, and building a sustainable, self-sufficient healthcare ecosystem.

H.E. Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, highlighted that this partnership follows the recent launch of the Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine (HELM) Cluster in Abu Dhabi.

She emphasized that the emirate is now equipped with a comprehensive and integrated infrastructure that supports local manufacturing and research and development (R&D).

This positions Abu Dhabi as a regional healthcare hub and a leader in life sciences. By combining the strategic vision of the Department of Health (DoH) with Abbott’s global expertise, the goal is to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative healthcare products and solutions.

This will reduce the time it takes for new therapies to reach patients, improve healthcare outcomes, and ensure that breakthrough treatments are delivered more rapidly.

The partnership focuses on four main pillars: localizing Abbott’s pharmaceutical portfolio, developing biosimilars, advancing digital transformation through electronic patient information leaflets, and implementing education and workforce development programs.

Mazen Bachir, Regional Director for Abbott’s established pharmaceuticals business in the Gulf, Emerging Markets, and Levant, expressed pride in this collaboration, which aims to enhance healthcare resilience and innovation in Abu Dhabi.

She noted that the partnership builds on Abbott’s long-standing commitment to the UAE’s healthcare system and includes efforts to digitize product information in line with the UAE’s digital health strategy.

Furthermore, the collaboration will explore opportunities for joint research and development to promote long-term healthcare sustainability in the UAE.

In addition to this partnership, the Department of Health is leading a high-level delegation on a strategic mission to the United States from June 15 to 21, 2025.

 The delegation will hold over 20 meetings with public and private sector leaders to facilitate knowledge exchange, explore investment opportunities, and sign agreements that accelerate the adoption of advanced health solutions.

The delegation represents Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem and includes key stakeholders such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Mubadala BIO, Masdar City, Khalifa University, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, among others.

This initiative aligns with broader UAE efforts to strengthen local production capacities in healthcare, as highlighted by the recent hosting of the third World Local Production Forum in Abu Dhabi.

The forum focused on advancing health equity, global health security, and sustainable development through innovation and technology transfer, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a global hub for healthcare innovation.

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