Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Drug Establishment, has launched the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) at the World Health Expo 2026 (WHX 2026).
This move marks the beginning of a new era in the regulation and development of the pharmaceutical and medical sectors.
The event was attended by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention; Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of the EDE; as well as a number of senior health sector leaders.
During his tour of the Establishment’s platform, under the “Emirates Health” Pavilion, His Excellency reviewed the key national projects being showcased by the EDE and was briefed on their role in strengthening pharmaceutical security, supporting innovation, advancing the national pharmaceutical model, and ensuring the sustainability of medical products.
The displayed projects also aim to enhance the UAE’s pharmaceutical industrial capacity and competitiveness while encouraging specialized research and developmental studies for medical products within the country.
The EDE also showcased its Holistic National Manufacturing Project, a strategic initiative designed to develop the national pharmaceutical ecosystem, strengthen manufacturing capabilities, and ensure the long-term sustainability of medical product supply chains across the UAE.
The Holistic National Manufacturing project provides an advanced national framework for localizing the production of advanced medicines and human medical products, alongside veterinary and agricultural products, agricultural inputs and fertilizers, within a unified system that integrates regulation, manufacturing, oversight and quality.
The framework also supports the ‘One Health’ approach, linking human, animal and environmental health.
The project prioritizes the development of a fully integrated industrial infrastructure covering all stages of the pharmaceutical value chain, from active ingredients and raw materials, through manufacturing, packaging and labelling, to storage and distribution, in line with the highest internationally recognized regulatory standards, ensuring product quality, safety and efficacy.
The Emirates Drug Establishment stressed that the launch of this project is part of a package of national initiatives designed to bolster pharmaceutical security, support the localization of vital industries, and build a robust, sustainable national pharmaceutical system.
According to the statement, “To date, the EDE has licensed 37 facilities for the production of human pharmaceutical and medical products.”
