The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is proud to have contributed significant and substantive support and assistance to the first-ever Abu Dhabi Global Healtcare Week conference organized and conducted by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH).  A prominent component of this collaboration is the visit of a delegation of executives from 25 American companies interested in entering the U.A.E. market or companies keen to grow their business in the U.A.E.  This trade delegation was certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce and received significant support from the U.S. Mission in the U.A.E.

Over the course of the first three days of the visit, the delegation met with the Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) as well as leadership from the Emirates Drug Establishment, M42, PureHealth, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Technology Innovation Institute, Masdar City, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. The U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E. and her leadership team met, and experts from prominent law firms briefed, the delegation regarding the U.S.-U.A.E. bilateral relationship and the overall business environment..

H.E. Mansoor Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), and his leadership team shared the DoH’s vision for the Abu Dhabi healthcare sector and its health system implementation strategy. He predicted that AI will be a fundamental force that transforms medicine and sought collaboration with U.S. companies to prepare the local healthcare ecosystem for this evolution. His senior leadership team engaged in dialogue with delegates in which they explored opportunities for further bilateral cooperation.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E. Martina Strong and her leadership team also briefed delegates on the bilateral relationship and offered their insights into the political and economic landscape in the U.A.E.  As a passionate advocate for U.S. business interests in the U.A.E., Ambassador Strong and her team gave advice on ways U.S. businesses can successfully engage in the U.A.E. healthcare market and build lasting partnerships. Ambassador Strong also graciously hosted an official reception in honor of the delegation, which was attended by over 200 U.S. and U.A.E. government and corporate officials.

Delegates met with H.E. Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, the Director General of the newly established Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), to better understand the EDE’s mandate and future projects. Dr. Al Kaabi outlined the ways in which the EDE plans to partner with private sector organizations to manage and regulate the production and distribution of pharmaceutical products as well as medical devices and technology.

M42 leadership outlined ways it is utilizing data to redefine healthcare. M42 reviewed several projects it is undertaking to advance healthcare and preventative health such as MED42, DOC42, GENE42, SCAN42, CLAIM42, and CARE42.

PureHealth’s Group Chief Strategy Officer, Sadia Khurum, gave an overview of PureHealth’s rapid expansion as a major healthcare organization in the U.A.E. utilizing its three core pillars: profitable growth, future ready health systems, and healthy longevity. PureHealth officials outlined their use of PURA AI, an AI-powered smart platform that harnesses insights taken from GenAI and machine learning. 

Delegates heard from Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) leadership regarding its priorities for economic development, programs for attracting foreign direct investment, and operational capabilities within Abu Dhabi. ADIO officials discussed Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Economy, and detailed its 13 cluster areas for investment – one of which is the life sciences. 

Delegates visited Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), where they toured its world-class facilities and heard from its Chief Operating Officer Marc Petre on CCAD’s history as a healthcare partner and service provider in the U.A.E. As the premier hospital in the U.A.E. and most prominent U.S. healthcare partnership in the country, delegates gained unique insights into a thriving U.S.-U.A.E. collaborative partnership in the healthcare sector.

Dr. Thomas Launey, Chief Researcher of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII)’s Biotech Research Center (BRC), detailed TII’s innovative research and initiatives related to biomedicine, biorobotics, environmental biotech, molecular biotech and genomics, and bioinformatics that are driving innovation in the healthcare and life sciences sector in the U.A.E.

Touring Masdar City, delegates experienced the global leading business and technology hub that is at the cutting edge of sustainability in urban environments. Director of Growth, Steve Severance, showcased the innovative ecosystem that Masdar City is fostering, and its new focus on life sciences.

The delegation received “how to do business in the U.A.E.” briefings from  senior attorneys from Al Tamimi and Covington law firms on the legal and regulatory environment in the U.A.E. with regard to healthcare. Ahmad Saleh and Andrea Tithecott from Al Tamimi spoke about the U.A.E. regulatory landscape, innovation, and intellectual property protection. Rupert Harper and Julie Teperow from Covington reviewed key compliance issues for life sciences and important considerations for collaboration in the life sciences industry.

Abu Dhabi is asserting itself as a thought leader and research, innovation, and manufacturing hub in the healthcare and life sciences sector. For more information, please view the Business Council’s sector update on the U.A.E. Healthcare Sector here.

The delegation will continue its visit with three days of meetings with federal and Emirate-level healthcare authorities in Dubai and Sharjah.

To learn more about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s programming in the healthcare and life sciences sector, please contact Adam Karadsheh at akaradsheh@usuaebusiness.org.