Abu Dhabi has identified 23 opportunities for investment in medical and pharmaceutical industries with the aim of spurring local production and pushing for self-sufficiency in the healthcare sector amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Of the 23 industrial opportunities, 14 are investments in new areas of production such as face shields, medical gloves and antibiotics, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Added) told reporters in a virtual conference on Sunday. The nine remaining areas are to develop existing industries such as medical gases, surgical masks and medical beds.
The 23 areas of investment were identified after studying the gap between local consumption and production of supplies, Nabeel Saleh Al-Awlaki, director of the environment, health and safety department at the Industrial Development Office, said during the call.
The study is part of the Basic Industries Project spearheaded by Added to reach self-sufficiency in the healthcare, food and energy sectors. The aim is to supply basic products to the domestic market, boost local production, create new investment areas and increase the non-oil sector's contribution to the economy.
Demand for medical supplies has skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and some local manufacturing capacity in the UAE has been converted to meet this need. Strata, Mubadala Investment Company’s aerospace manufacturing unit, is looking to further diversify into the health technology sector, after producing N95 masks in partnership with Honeywell in May.
Abu Dhabi has issued a total of 23 licenses for medical manufacturing in the emirate for investments valued at nearly Dh2 billion, Rashed Al Balooshi, Undersecretary of Added, said in a statement. Of these, 10 new facilities are currently under construction with an investment value of Dh932 million. The remaining 13 have already reached production status, with an investment value of Dh1.069bn.
The emirate is offering local manufacturers in these vital industries incentives including customs exemptions, industrial licence exemption fees and reductions on electricity tariffs to industrial companies to reduce operational costs.
Currently, local producers in the UAE cover five per cent of the local consumption of healthcare products, Dr Sahar Fahmy, acting manager of the drug and medical products department at the Department of Health, said.
Identifying the 23 areas of investment in pharmaceuticals and healthcare under the Basic Industries Project was carried out by Added’s Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio), the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).
The areas identified were based on Added’s review of current circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 oubreak, Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of Added said in the statement.
Tariq Bin Hendi, director general of Adio, said the "thriving" healthcare sector offered "sizeable" opportunities for investors.
"The new investment areas represent a wealth of new possibilities for investors and manufacturers in or looking to establish in Abu Dhabi," Mr Bin Hendi said.
Adio is translating the investment areas identified by the Basic Industries Project into business opportunities, connecting investors to relevant local partners and helping to conduct feasibility studies for projects. It is also looking at policy reforms directly related to the industries identified to ensure long-term, sustainable opportunities for businesses, he said.
The Basic Industries Project is being implemented by Added in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Adio.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
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