UAE Investments in AI and Genomics Drive Middle East Biopharma Expansion

National investments in genomics, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced manufacturing across the United Arab Emirates are driving biopharmaceutical development in the Middle East, according to a joint report released by the World Health Expo (WHX) and Frost & Sullivan titled “From Discovery to Delivery: The Technologies Reshaping Global Biopharma”. The report forecasts that precision medicine in the region will grow by more than 10 percent over the next five to seven years, tracking growth trajectories seen in developed markets.

Regional biopharma development is supported by large-scale domestic projects. The Emirati Genome Program aims to collect one million genetic samples nationwide, while the UAE Reference Genome study is currently analysing over 50,000 genome samples to build infrastructure for disease prevention, precision treatments, and healthcare research. In Abu Dhabi, the Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine (HELM) cluster is projected to attract more than AED 42 billion ($11.5 billion) in investments, contribute over AED 94 billion ($25.6 billion) to the emirate's GDP, and generate approximately 30,000 jobs by 2045.

Manufacturing localisation has also emerged as a strategic priority, highlighted by the establishment of Mubadala Bio in 2025 to bolster domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and logistics capabilities. The study also notes advances in AI-driven discovery, citing Insilico Medicine's Abu Dhabi centre nominating the UAE's first fully AI-discovered preclinical candidates for oncology and non-opioid pain within 12-month discovery workflows in 2025.

Additionally, research capabilities have expanded through institutional collaborations, including a June 2026 partnership between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Boehringer Ingelheim to utilise local genomics infrastructure for precision medicine. Frost & Sullivan highlighted that growing regional patient databases will create further opportunities for localized disease modelling and drug discovery over the next 10 to 15 years.