New Dh100m centre to research five crucial health issues in the UAE

DUBAI // A new Dh100 million medical research centre in Dubai aims to nurture a home-grown generation of health professionals.

Al Jalila Medical Research Centre, the first of its kind, will focus on five key health issues: obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and mental health.

The centre is being funded by Al Jalila Foundation, the medical charity set up last year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and named after his daughter Jalila, 6.

“We want to put Dubai and the UAE on the map for medical research,” said Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, chief executive of the foundation, which celebrated its anniversary yesterday.

“These five health issues are crucial to the UAE. Cardiovascular diseases are the major killers, diabetes is very common and child obesity is very bad,” he said.

“We want this centre to be known for creating new treatments for difficult diseases. We want to give back to society because we are building this centre with support from society – from philanthropists, from businessmen.”

He said the not-for-profit organisation wanted to lay the groundwork for medical treatment by investing in research. “This is the first independent research centre in the UAE,” he said.

“The only way to target and treat diseases is through research and we want to do this research in the UAE. Al Jalila Foundation’s Research Centre aims to cultivate the UAE’s medical sector by promoting biomedical science as a career.

“We want everyone in the world talking about personalised medicine. We are not there yet but we want to build the right infrastructure to do that.”

Sheikh Mohammed yesterday viewed designs and plans for the 10-storey building in Dubai Healthcare City. He praised the efforts of the foundation and the generosity of donors, and hoped the new centre could match internationally acclaimed research centres in terms of expertise and reputation.

The centre is expected to open on the foundation’s third anniversary in April 2016.

The foundation’s first anniversary, Dr Al Olama said, “is very important for us because the first year was full of achievements. We achieved so many things.

“Al Jalila has three pillars: education, treatment and research. We have had the education pillar and we have achieved this by giving scholarships to 17 doctors to continue their postgraduate education.

“The second pillar was treatment and we have treated lots of UAE and non-UAE nationals and today is the day of the third pillar – the research.”

The foundation also announced it will earmark Dh8m for grants and fellowships into the five areas of research.

“We want to provide UAE-based students and scientists the opportunity to study at leading international and local institutions so that they can return to the UAE with valuable insight and contribute towards the health of the country,” said Dr Al Olama, who played a key role in setting up Dubai Healthcare City as the world’s first dedicated healthcare free zone.

The centre was announced as the foundation hosted its inaugural biomedical research symposium under the theme Medical Research Today, Saving Lives Tomorrow.

The foundation aims to research diseases, offer scholarships to medical students and provide health care for those who cannot afford it.

jbell@thenational.ae