Dubai Science Park Unveils White Paper: UAE's Precision Medicine Transformation
A white paper by Dubai Science Park, developed in collaboration with EY, sheds light on the imperative need for rapidly localised research efforts to enhance patient outcomes, advance precision medicine, and elevate scientific excellence in the UAE. The findings come as the country's healthcare expenditure is projected to soar to AED 112.7 billion by 2027.
The white paper, titled "The UAE Healthcare Ecosystem," explores global megatrends in the healthcare sector and their transformative impact on reshaping the ecosystem. Released during the Arab Health exhibition on January 29, the paper highlights a significant shift towards digitally enabled healthcare as one of its key revelations.
With approximately 30 percent of the world's data volume now generated by the healthcare industry, the paper delves into how both public and private sector investments are leveraging this data to integrate emerging technologies. These technologies, in turn, facilitate novel therapy approaches and personalised patient frameworks.
Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Science Park at TECOM Group PJSC, emphasised the importance of investing in localised research and initiatives as a commitment to improving healthcare not only in the Middle East but globally. He highlighted precision medicine as a paradigm shift in life sciences, offering effective and targeted interventions for a patient-centric approach.
The paper identifies genomic medicine and research as a crucial focus area for future technologically powered investments. The Emirati Genome Programme, highlighted in the white paper, aims to utilize genetic data to prevent and treat chronic and rare diseases. Advanced sequencing technology and artificial intelligence analyses through the program contribute to genetic references that support advanced diagnosis and enable personalised healthcare and treatment pathways.
The white paper aligns with the goals of programs such as We the UAE 2031, Dubai Economic Agenda 'D33,' and Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. These initiatives foster co-creation between the public sector and industry champions, empowering a pool of industry knowledge and talent.
Dubai Science Park's participation in the Arab Health exhibition also showcased promising startups from in5 Science, a vertical launched in collaboration with TECOM Group's startup incubator in June 2023. Startups like EMed Support Systems, KinesteX, Neulink, and Diagnio presented innovative solutions using AI for proactive cardiovascular management, real-time form correction, workflow automation, and home test systems for hormonal diagnostics.
As Dubai Science Park continues to grow, TECOM Group is developing storage and logistics facilities at the science district, home to industry leaders such as AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Pfizer, and Virax Biolabs.
The white paper's early findings on sustainability in the UAE's healthcare system were unveiled at the COP28 conference in Dubai, emphasising the commitment to advancing healthcare through research and development.
