Abu Dhabi:Leaders at the UK-UAE Collaboration in Wellbeing and Longevity Summit emphasized the critical need for stronger health literacy to transform Abu Dhabi's advancements in longevity, genomics, and precision health into longer, healthier lives.
According to Wam, the Summit, organized by the UAE-UK Business Council with support from Haleon, gathered leaders from various sectors, including government, regulation, insurance, healthcare, and life sciences. The event aimed to explore how advancements in longevity and precision health could benefit more individuals. The Summit was attended by Geraldine McCafferty, the United Kingdom's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and H.E. Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of the Emirates Drug Establishment.
Speakers highlighted that innovation alone is insufficient for fostering healthier societies. They called for enhanced education and empowerment of populations to manage their health through coordinated efforts across regulation, funding, healthcare providers, and employers. The Summit coincides with Abu Dhabi's strategic positioning of health and life sciences as a key component of its economic diversification and societal wellbeing. The Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine (HELM) cluster in Abu Dhabi is expected to significantly contribute to GDP and employment by 2045.
Geraldine McCafferty expressed pride in the collaboration between the UK and UAE in driving innovation in genomics, precision medicine, artificial intelligence, and life sciences. Arda Arat from Haleon highlighted the importance of health literacy and responsible self-care in enabling people to take control of their health.
The Summit featured speakers from Al Tamimi and Co, Alvarez and Marsal, Cigna Healthcare, Etihad, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Browne Jacobson, PureHealth, and Nabta Health. Bradley Jones, CEO of the UAE-UK Business Council, stressed the importance of aligning various stakeholders to overcome practical barriers to healthier lives through international collaboration.
The event builds on previous efforts by Haleon and the UAE-UK Business Council, focusing on delivering better healthcare outcomes through earlier intervention, stronger health literacy, and broader access to innovation.
