Abu Dhabi joins forces with Belgium to establish Pharma Air Corridor

Abu Dhabi is seeking to set up an international distribution corridor to serve the world in vaccine delivery and future life science needs by joining hands with Belgium.

The collaboration builds on the capabilities of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector as a leading life sciences hub and the efforts of the HOPE Consortium in offering vaccine solutions for the world.

This initiative entailed a delegation visit from Belgium to Abu Dhabi, hosted by the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi (DoH), which saw the signing of two declarations of collaboration between Belgium and Abu Dhabi.

The first collaboration deal was signed between Abu Dhabi-based vaccine logistics HOPE Consortium, Abu Dhabi Airports, Brussels Airport Company and the Pharma.Aero group to establish a fully compliant origin-to-destination Pharma Air Corridor between Abu Dhabi and Brussels Airports. 

The dedicated pharma trade lane is expected to unite key compliant and sector-certified supply chain stakeholders, including forwarders and ground handling agents.

“Our goal is to enhance Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a world-class pharma logistics hub, a destination focused on global welfare by investing in strategic public and private sector collaborations, and the allocation of expertise and resources,” stated Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi, Under-Secretary of the DoH.

The dedicated Pharma Air Corridor development will leverage API-IoT devices-webforms-internet shared with all relevant stakeholders to monitor pharma shipments closely.

“Our relationship with Etihad Cargo and the HOPE Consortium sharing best practices makes us confident that the corridor will promote commitment for transparency with customers and stakeholders,” said Mr. Nathan De Valck, Chairman of Pharma.Aero.

The second collaboration declaration was signed between, the HOPE Consortium, Pharma.Aero, Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the University of Antwerp to host the 2nd edition of the “Pharma Logistics Masterclass”, a course focused on critical challenges and developments in pharma supply chains and logistics by Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi from 5th to 9th September 2022.

“We are pleased to bring the next Pharma.Aero Logistics Masterclass to Abu Dhabi in September 2022, in collaboration with our partners. Khalifa University has the necessary expertise, especially through our Digital Supply Chain and Operations Management (DSOM) research center, to provide real-world, cutting-edge work on digital transactions, management, and optimization in multiple domains such as maritime logistics, production lines, and healthcare delivery systems.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Chairman of the HOPE Consortium Executive Committee and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, added “We are pleased to have the opportunity to showcase our capabilities and pass on our learnings to students attending the Masterclass. At the same time, we look forward to further strengthening the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Belgium by establishing a pharma corridor, benefitting the region and the world.”

For his part, Mr. Frank Van Gelder, Secretary-General of Pharma. Aero and co-chair of the Pharma Logistics Masterclass, stated that the vision and mission of Pharma.Aero highlights fostering collaboration. By bringing the 2nd edition of the Masterclass to Abu Dhabi and bringing academics and business together contributes significantly to achieving this vision.

The strategic ties between the UAE and Belgium are vital in supporting trade routes between the Middle East and Europe. This commitment further expands the effectiveness of a collaborative approach to addressing pharmaceutical demand flows between the two regions,  Dr. Ghalia Ali Al Humaidan, Chargé d’affaires of the UAE Mission to Belgium, added.

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