Abu Dhabi’s Inaugural China Mission to Open New Pathways for Health and Life Sciences Collaboration

22 Sep, 2026:

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, will lead its inaugural mission to China from 21 to 30 September 2026, opening new pathways for collaboration between two complementary health and life sciences ecosystems. Led by H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH, the delegation will visit Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing to explore how the complementary strengths of Abu Dhabi and China can accelerate healthcare innovation from scientific discovery to real-world patient impact.

The mission will connect China’s strengths in scientific research, technology and advanced manufacturing with Abu Dhabi’s integrated health ecosystem, population-scale programmes, data and genomics capabilities, and agile regulatory environment. Together, create an opportunity to address one of healthcare’s shared challenges, how to move promising discoveries more quickly from research into solutions that can be validated, deployed and scaled within real-world health systems.

H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “China and Abu Dhabi share an ambition to ensure that scientific progress translates into better health. China brings significant capabilities across biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and AI, while Abu Dhabi offers a connected health ecosystem where innovation can be explored, validated and translated into care. This mission is the beginning of a longer-term dialogue. By connecting our researchers, clinicians and innovators, we want to create lasting pathways for collaboration that benefit both ecosystems and help advance more predictive, preventive and personalised care for communities in Abu Dhabi, China and beyond.”

Throughout the mission, the delegation will engage with Chinese government entities, healthcare institutions, universities and innovators across four priority areas including robotics, medical technology and Artificial Intelligence; precision oncology and advanced diagnostics; drug development and clinical trials; and regulatory excellence and traditional medicine.

Discussions will focus on practical opportunities for research and clinical collaboration, technology adoption and knowledge exchange. Across these engagements, the delegation will explore how the strengths of both ecosystems could support earlier and more accurate diagnosis, accelerate the development of new treatments, advance the application of AI and robotics in healthcare, and support the safe and effective translation of innovation into patient care.

Led by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the delegation brings together key organisations from across Abu Dhabi’s health and life sciences ecosystem, including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, PureHealth, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and L’IMAD, reflecting the Emirate’s integrated approach to advancing healthcare innovation and international collaboration.

The mission will also invite Chinese healthcare and life sciences leaders to participate in Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, taking place from 20 to 22 October 2026, creating an immediate platform to continue the conversations initiated in China and explore longer-term partnerships. These engagements contribute to DoH’s wider efforts to connect international expertise with Abu Dhabi’s intelligent health ecosystem and build sustained pathways for collaboration that can translate innovation into better health outcomes at scale.