São Paulo – The UAE Ministry of Energy and Industry is working with strategic partners in the medical products industry to enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness in the sector, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported this Tuesday (5).
UAE minister of Energy and Industry Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei said the goal is to learn from the ongoing crisis and build a stronger health industry, developing production capacity and investing so that the sector will be prepared for similar situations down the line.
The plan was ordered by UAE prime minister and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It is expected to be developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Prevention. The strategy involves identifying needs for medical equipment and supplies, building capacity where needed to ensure higher self-sufficiency in future crises.
“We are confident that our medical factories will be capable of covering a large part of the UAE’s future medical requirements. The study will provide the information we need to make the necessary investments to enhance the strength of these factories and raise the readiness of national manufacturing,” said Mazrouei. According to him, factories are operating within international standards and exporting product to other countries.
The plan will comprise several phases, including identifying priority health sector products and needs and examining the local capacity to meet demand and possible gaps. Once the data has been looked into, an initial product package will be worked on by a taskforce that will find investment opportunities, build a plan, create partnerships, and put in place policies to support national industry.
WAM said the plan is in line with the UAE’s plan to become a leader in devising a post-Covid-19 strategy. That includes outlining action plans on multiple fronts, setting immediate and future goals to meet the pandemic’s challenges, and dealing with other environmental or epidemiologic challenges that may arise going forward. The first step is to assess shortcomings in sectors that have struggled in dealing with the crisis.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
