UAE ramps up local medicine manufacturing with launch of Emirates Drug Establishment

Dubai: The UAE has taken a major step towards strengthening local manufacturing of medicines with the official launch of the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), signalling a new era for the country’s pharmaceutical industry and medical supply security.

Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Drug Establishment, formally unveiled the new body at the World Health Expo 2026 (WHX 2026) on Monday.

The launch event was attended by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention; Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of the Establishment; and senior leaders from across the health sector.

The establishment marks a turning point in how medicines and medical products are regulated and developed in the UAE, with a strong focus on boosting domestic production, encouraging innovation and ensuring long-term sustainability of medical supplies.

During a tour of the Establishment’s platform at the “Emirates Health” Pavilion, Al Hajeri reviewed national projects designed to strengthen pharmaceutical security and advance the UAE’s homegrown pharmaceutical model. Officials highlighted how these initiatives aim to expand local industrial capacity, improve competitiveness and support specialised research and development within the country.

A centrepiece of the showcase was the Holistic National Manufacturing Project, a strategic initiative intended to develop the national pharmaceutical ecosystem and reinforce local manufacturing capabilities. The project is designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of medical product supply chains across the UAE.

The initiative provides a national framework to localise the production of advanced medicines and human medical products, alongside veterinary and agricultural products, fertilisers and agricultural inputs.

It brings regulation, manufacturing, oversight and quality control together within a unified system, while also supporting the “One Health” approach that links human, animal and environmental health.

The project prioritises a fully integrated industrial infrastructure covering the entire pharmaceutical value chain – from active ingredients and raw materials to manufacturing, packaging, labelling, storage and distribution – in line with internationally recognised regulatory standards to ensure product quality, safety and efficacy.

To date, the establishment has licensed 37 facilities for the production of human pharmaceutical and medical products.

Dr Ruqaya Al Bastaki, Medical Products Regulation Sector, said the integrated manufacturing project offers a practical foundation for aligning regulation with industry needs while promoting domestic production that meets global benchmarks.

“It ensures continuity in supply chains and boosts the overall efficiency of the national pharmaceutical ecosystem,” she said.

Al Bastaki added that the project would bring a strategic transformation to the UAE’s pharmaceutical sector by strengthening manufacturing capacity, improving supply chain resilience and guaranteeing the sustainable availability of medical products. These developments, she said, would reinforce the UAE’s position as a regional and global hub for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Emirates Drug Establishment said the launch forms part of a broader package of national initiatives aimed at enhancing pharmaceutical security, localising vital industries and building a robust, sustainable national pharmaceutical system.