Abu Dhabi launches state-of-the-art biobank for personalised healthcare

Abu Dhabi has inaugurated the Abu Dhabi Biobank, a net-zero facility in Masdar City that links biological samples with genomic, clinical and lifestyle data to enable earlier disease detection and more personalised care. Developed through a strategic partnership between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and M42, the biobank can store more than 100,000 cord blood samples and up to five million biological samples, and is designed to operate as a living platform that continuously integrates samples with real‑world health data for prevention, clinical decision‑making and research.

“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.” — Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi

Context and capabilities

The facility introduces two major capabilities: a pan‑human biobank that links biological samples with longitudinal clinical, genomic and lifestyle data at population scale, and a national eye bank intended to bolster local transplantation capacity and reduce reliance on imported tissue. Officials highlighted the biobank’s ability to draw on a population representing more than 200 nationalities, aiming to produce insights that reflect the UAE’s diverse resident population and improve the relevance of medical innovation.

• Location: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi (net‑zero facility)
• Storage capacity: more than 100,000 cord blood samples; up to five million biological samples
• Partnership: Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and M42
• Major components: pan‑human biobank and national eye bank
• Population coverage: draws on residents from more than 200 nationalities
• Inauguration attendees: Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori (Chairman, DoH), Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi (Undersecretary, DoH), Dimitris Moulavasilis (Group CEO, M42), Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi (CEO, M42 Integrated Health Solutions)

Dimitris Moulavasilis, Group Chief Executive Officer of M42, described the initiative as foundational to a more proactive health system. “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,” he said.

Outlook

Officials say the biobank is intended to shift care from treatment toward prevention by enabling earlier detection of disease risk, more accurate diagnoses and treatments tailored to individual biology. As a continuously updating platform, it is positioned to support clinical decision‑making, public health planning and research, while allowing residents to contribute samples that may benefit future generations. The combination of large‑scale sample storage, genomic integration and AI‑enabled analytics is promoted by developers as a means to accelerate insights and improve outcomes across Abu Dhabi’s health system.