Abu Dhabi has taken a major step toward transforming how disease is detected, prevented and treated, with the inauguration of the Abu Dhabi Biobank, a platform that connects biological samples with genomic, lifestyle and clinical data to enable earlier action and more personalised care.
Developed through a strategic partnership between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and M42, the biobank reflects a shift in how healthcare is delivered, moving from treating disease to identifying risk earlier, improving diagnosis, and tailoring interventions.
Located in Masdar City, the state-of-the-art, net-zero facility has the capacity to store more than 100,000 cord blood samples and up to five million biological samples, creating one of the region’s most advanced and diverse health data resources. More importantly, it introduces a new model of care where biology, data and clinical practice are connected at population scale to improve outcomes across the system.
The Abu Dhabi Biobank was inaugurated in the presence of senior leadership, including His Excellency Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Her Excellency Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and Dimitris Moulavasilis, Group Chief Executive Officer of M42, alongside Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Executive Officer of M42’s Integrated Health Solutions platform. The inauguration was also attended by representatives from leading healthcare providers, research institutions, academia and global industry partners.
The launch introduces two major capabilities: a pan-human biobank that links biological samples with longitudinal clinical, genomic and lifestyle data at scale, and a national eye bank that strengthens local transplantation capabilities and reduces reliance on imported tissue.
Through the Abu Dhabi Biobank, residents will benefit from earlier detection of disease risk, more accurate diagnoses and treatments that are better tailored to their individual biology. It also enables individuals to contribute to research that will benefit future generations.
The biobank is designed as a living platform, continuously integrating biological samples with real-world health data to support prevention, clinical decision-making and research. Drawing on a population representing more than 200 nationalities, it enables insights that are more reflective of real-world diversity, helping improve the relevance and effectiveness of medical innovation.
Her Excellency Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi said: “Healthcare is moving from reacting to disease, to anticipating and preventing it. The Abu Dhabi Biobank enables this shift by connecting data, science and care in a way that directly improves people’s lives. It allows us to detect risks earlier, personalise treatment and deliver better outcomes for our community, while contributing to global progress in medicine.”
Dimitris Moulavasilis, Group Chief Executive Officer of M42, said: “The Abu Dhabi Biobank is a critical step in building a health system that is more proactive, precise and data-driven. By bringing together biological samples, AI, genomics and real-world data, we are enabling faster insights, better decisions and ultimately improved outcomes at scale.”
