UAE investment drives Middle East biopharma transformation as precision medicine set for double-digit growth

Emirati Genome Program, Abu Dhabi’s HELM cluster and the UAE’s first AI-discovered drug candidates highlighted as the UAE builds capabilities across the biopharma value chain

The findings come as WHX launches a new Pharma Zone for 2027, connecting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with healthcare buyers, investors and commercial partners from across the globe

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 7 October 2026: The UAE is laying the foundations for the Middle East’s next phase of biopharma growth, with national investment in genomics, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing reshaping how medicines are discovered, developed and produced across the region, according to “From Discovery to Delivery: The Technologies Reshaping Global Biopharma”, the first in a new series of exclusive reports by World Health Expo (WHX) in partnership with Frost & Sullivan.

The analysis forecasts double-digit growth of between 10 – 12 per cent for precision medicine in the Middle East over the next five to seven years, following a growth trajectory similar to developed markets. The findings point to an increasingly connected regional biopharma ecosystem spanning genomics, next-generation therapies, AI-enabled drug development and local manufacturing.

The scale of investment already underway across the UAE is driving this shift. The Emirati Genome Program aims to collect one million genetic samples nationwide, while the UAE Reference Genome study is analysing more than 50,000 genome samples and building infrastructure to support disease prevention, precision treatments, and healthcare research.

Furthermore, Abu Dhabi’s Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine (HELM) cluster is projected to attract more than AED 42 billion (US$11.5 billion) in investment, contribute over AED 94 billion (US$25.6 billion) to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and create approximately 30,000 jobs by 2045. Spanning biotechnology, pharmaceutical manufacturing, genomics and AI, the cluster reflects the UAE's ambitions to develop capabilities across the biopharma value chain.

Localisation of pharmaceutical manufacturing is also becoming a strategic priority. The report highlights the launch of Mubadala Bio in 2025 to strengthen local manufacturing and pharmaceutical logistics in the UAE, while across the wider region, Lifera’s agreement with Novo Nordisk is exploring local production of advanced GLP-1 treatments for diabetes and obesity in Saudi Arabia.

AI is central to this transformation. According to Frost & Sullivan, more than 40 AI-discovered drugs have already entered clinical trials globally, as the technology becomes increasingly integrated into pharmaceutical R&D, helping to identify new drug candidates faster, design more efficient clinical trials and improve production.

The UAE is also progressing in AI-driven drug discovery and precision medicine. In 2025, Insilico Medicine’s Abu Dhabi centre nominated the UAE’s first fully AI-discovered preclinical candidates for oncology and non-opioid pain, completing discovery workflows in under 12 months.

Aarti Chitale, Industry Principal, Healthcare & Lifesciences Growth Analytics, Frost & Sullivan, said: “The biopharma industry is moving towards an increasingly connected model in which precision medicine, AI and advanced manufacturing reinforce one another across the development lifecycle. In the Middle East, and particularly in the UAE, the foundations for that transition are already being built through investment in genomics, digital infrastructure, localisation and global partnerships.

“The region’s expected double-digit growth in precision medicine over the next five to seven years is particularly significant. As local genomic and patient datasets grow, countries can move beyond adopting technologies developed elsewhere to building homegrown research capabilities, therapies and disease models that better reflect the unique characteristics of regional populations.”

Frost & Sullivan analysis values the Middle East and Africa pharmaceutical market at US$58.66 billion in 2025, accounting for 3.6% of the global pharmaceutical market. The report identifies healthcare reforms and national strategies around biotechnology, AI, digital infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing as significant drivers of the region’s future growth.

Further strengthening the emirate’s research capabilities, a June 2026 partnership between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Boehringer Ingelheim aims to harness Abu Dhabi’s growing genomics infrastructure to advance precision-medicine research. Frost & Sullivan expects expanding local patient databases to create further opportunities for regional disease modelling and drug discovery over the next 10 to 15 years.

Solenne Singer, Senior Vice President, Healthcare, inD, said: “The findings demonstrate why biopharma has become such an important part of the healthcare growth story in the UAE and the wider Middle East. The UAE is bringing together many of the capabilities required to compete in the next phase of the industry. For WHX, the opportunity is to connect that rapidly developing ecosystem with the global organisations leading pharma and biotech today.

"Discovery is only one part of the equation. Translating scientific advances into medicines at scale requires manufacturers, technology companies, investors, regulators, healthcare providers and commercial partners to work together. These connections are becoming increasingly important as the industry moves towards more personalised and technologically advanced models of care.”

The report comes as WHX expands its focus on the industries driving healthcare growth. The new Pharma Zone at WHX 2027 will sit alongside the new Biotech Zone and Longevity and Wellness Zone, connecting pharmaceutical manufacturers, contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs), suppliers, distributors, technology providers and commercial partners to support pharmaceutical development, production and market access.

Taking place from 25–28 January 2027 across Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai and Dubai World Trade Centre, WHX is expected to bring together more than 90,000 attendees, 4,200 exhibitors and representatives from over 195 countries. WHX forms part of World Healthcare Week, which brings together WHX, WHX Tech and WHX Leaders in Dubai, connecting healthcare trade, technology and global leadership.

To read the exclusive report, please visit:

From Discovery to Delivery: The Technologies Reshaping Global Biopharma

For more information on WHX, please visit:

https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/events/healthcare/dubai/.

Source: World Health Expo (WHX)