Abu Dhabi, UAE— Designed to lure investors and manufacturers to the country’s pharmaceutical sector, the UAE has signed agreements to the tune of $70.8 million with medical companies to manufacture medical equipment at home.
Signed in the presence of Sarah bint Youssef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, the partnerships are in line with the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology and the ICV Program, which aim to attract investors and manufacturers to the UAE’s pharmaceutical and medical equipment sectors, among others.
Under the partnerships, PureHealth will work with Abu Dhabi Medical Devices Company (ADMD) to establish a medical supplies production line in Abu Dhabi.
Under the MoU, Borouge will provide raw materials while Abu Dhabi Ports Group will provide industrial land in ICAD 1 for the production of medical syringes, administration devices, and blood collection tubes.
Under a separate MoU, PureHealth and Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries Company (Julphar) will establish the first factory in the Middle East to produce Glargine (the first long-acting biological alternative to insulin) for the treatment of diabetes. T
The AED 150 million manufacturing facilities will be built in Ras Al Khaimah and will enable the UAE to obtain an insulin substitute at more competitive prices. It will also support exports to regional and global markets where there is an increasing demand for insulin substitutes.
The MoU between PureHealth and Abu Dhabi Medical Devices Company was signed by: Farhan Malik, CEO of PureHealth Group; Mounir Haddad, CEO of Abu Dhabi Medical Devices Company; Abdullah Humaid Al Hamelli, Head of Industrial Cities and Freezones, Abu Dhabi Ports, and Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, CEO, Borouge.
The second MoU, between PureHealth and Julphar was attended by Sheikh Saqr bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Julphar. It was signed by Mr. Malik and Dr. Essam Mohamed, CEO of Julphar.
Both signings were attended by Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention; Sameh Al Qubaisi, Director General – Economic Affairs at Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; His Excellency Abdullah Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Industrial Development Sector at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; and Omar Najm, Director of the Executive Affairs Office at the Department of Health.
The MoUs follow the Make in the Emirates Forum, which was hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in May. The forum highlighted industrial investment opportunities and identified products that can be manufactured locally, including in the pharmaceutical and medical supplies sector.
This kind of cooperation between major national companies is a draw for international investors and manufacturers working in priority sectors. The Make it in the Emirates campaign goes hand-in-hand with the National In-Country Value (ICV) Program, in which national companies help to redirect government procurement spending into the local economy.
Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, commented: “These partnerships are in line with the directives of our leadership which aim to empower and stimulate sectors, enhance investment, and support the UAE’s position as a global industrial hub. The partnerships are in line with our strategic objectives and reflect the important role of the ministry’s Make it in the Emirates Forum, which identified more than 300 products that can be produced locally in priority sectors such as pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.”
He said: “These partnerships will play a significant role in boosting economic development through the National ICV Program. The ICV Program is one of the ministry’s Projects of the 50 supporting economic growth. It increases supply chain resilience and encourages companies to manufacture quality products in the UAE that can be exported globally.”