ABU DHABI, 21st October, 2026 (WAM) -- The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and AstraZeneca launch a new collaboration positioning Abu Dhabi as a priority location in AstraZeneca’s global clinical trial network The collaboration leverages the emirate’s intelligent health system, advanced research infrastructure and enabling regulatory environment.
Announced on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, the collaboration will explore the feasibility of up to 30 clinical trials in Abu Dhabi by 2030 across AstraZeneca’s biopharmaceutical portfolio with a focus on cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, which are leading causes of mortality in UAE. The collaboration could deliver an estimated at AED 180 million (US$50 million) investment into life sciences research in Abu Dhabi by 2030.
In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, and Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the MoU was signed at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit by Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Georges-Pascal Haber, Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Sir Pascal Soriot, CEO, AstraZeneca.
The collaboration builds on Abu Dhabi’s long-term partnership with AstraZeneca in research, genomics and digital health. It brings together DoH’s role in enabling clinical research and developing Abu Dhabi’s intelligent life sciences ecosystem, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s clinical and research expertise, and AstraZeneca’s global R&D capabilities. Drawing on Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s research infrastructure, it aims to strengthen local research capacity and generate high-quality evidence relevant to the region’s health needs. The first six trials are expected to begin at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi by the end of 2026.
The collaboration also aims to generate locally relevant evidence, drawing on Abu Dhabi’s population-scale health and genomics data to help address the historical underrepresentation of regional populations in pharmaceutical research. The proposed studies will support the development of local investigators and research professionals, while creating opportunities for eligible patients to participate in international clinical research, subject to study approvals and enrolment criteria.
Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi has built an intelligent health system where population scale data, research infrastructure, and clinical excellence translate into better health outcomes. This collaboration brings global clinical trials into this system, supporting our ambition to create a globally recognised environment for clinical research, and strengthens the evidence base to help ensure that new medicines are developed for the diversity of the world’s patients.”
As the programme’s first clinical trial site, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi brings its Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, designated by DoH as a Centre of Excellence for Adult Cardiac Surgery, and a research department that has conducted clinical trials since 2016. In 2025, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Fatima bint Mubarak Centre became the first centre in the GCC to participate in a global AstraZeneca therapeutic trial for breast cancer.
Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said: “By combining Cleveland Clinic clinical expertise, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure, and AstraZeneca’s global research capabilities, we can accelerate clinical research, expand access to innovative treatments, and generate evidence that improves patient outcomes. Together, we are strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a leader in clinical research, with benefits for patients across the globe.”
Mikhail Kosiborod, Senior Vice President, Late CVRM BioPharmaceutical R&D, AstraZeneca, said: “Clinical trials play a vital role in generating high-quality evidence that advances healthcare, providing patients with early access to promising new therapies and ensuring our data is generated in diverse, representative populations. This collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and Cleveland Clinic will enable further investment in clinical research infrastructure, and deliver evidence that informs clinical practice, ultimately shaping the future of patient care across conditions that are the biggest public health threats, both locally and globally.”
This initiative builds on the long-standing collaboration between DoH, Abu Dhabi’s health ecosystem and AstraZeneca across clinical research, digital health, genomics and disease-specific programmes. Anchored by the HELM cluster, Abu Dhabi is bringing together government, healthcare providers, research institutions and industry to develop an integrated life sciences ecosystem for discovery, drug development and clinical trials.