The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi employees participate in Emirati Genome Program

Abu Dhabi: In a bid to innovate healthcare solutions for the wider Emirati community, employees of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) have contributed blood samples to the Emirati Genome Program, which aims to sequence the complete genome of as many citizens as possible to support better prediction, prevention and treatment of genetic and chronic illnesses.

“DCT Abu Dhabi has taken part in this programme to support Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector and give back to the community, as part of its commitment to its corporate sustainable development principles,” said HE Saeed Ali Al Fazari, Executive Director, Support Services Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi. “The Emirati Genome Program represents a milestone in our nation’s journey, as it aims to create a comprehensive Emirati genetic map to help enhance health services and provide the best healthcare solutions for our community.”

“With the support of UAE nationals, we can continue to push the boundaries of healthcare practices under the visionary leadership of the UAE and provide cutting-edge solutions for all who live here and future generations.”

DCT Abu Dhabi’s corporate sustainability development principles align with the Emirati Genome Program, which will eventually help advance preventative and personalised healthcare in the UAE for all Emiratis.

The success of the Emirati Genome Program depends heavily on the participation of UAE nationals across the country. The more participants the Emirati Genome Program has, the more comprehensive the resulting genetic data will become, creating a rich base for scientists and medical professionals to build the Emirati reference genome.

More details of the Emirati Genome Program, including complete participation information, can be found at emiratigenomeprogram.ae/  or by calling 800 UAE GENOME.

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About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi 

The Department of Culture and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction, which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The organisation manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Louvre Abu Dhabi. The Department supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage. A key role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base. 

About the Emirati Genome Program

The Emirati Genome Program (EGP) is the world’s first dedicated program to ever study the Arab genome. This initiative is a strategic public-private partnership between Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, and G42 Healthcare to refine the de novo Emirati reference genome with the intention of transforming the UAE healthcare to preventive systems and future proof the health of the nation. G42 Healthcare, the leading Abu Dhabi based HealthTech company that was responsible for setting up one of the world’s largest testing and diagnostics laboratory to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, and for conducting the world’s first pan-Arab clinical trials for Covid-19 inactivated vaccine, has established a state-of-the-art research and innovation hub at OMICS Center of Excellence in Masdar City. The Emirati Genome Program (EGP) has already referenced the Emirati genome based on DNA samples from 1,000 UAE nationals using cutting edge next and third generation sequencing with artificial intelligence, and now extending the study to the wider Emirati population making EGP the most ambitious genomic program worldwide.

 For more information, visit emiratigenomeprogram.ae 

About G42 Healthcare

G42 Healthcare, a leading health-tech company, is on a mission to develop a world-class healthcare sector in the UAE and beyond, by harnessing data and advanced medical technologies to unlock the potential of personalized and preventive care and transforming the traditional healthcare ecosystem.

At the forefront in the battle against COVID-19, we have established Biogenix Labs, UAE’s first COVID-19 accredited large-scale throughput laboratory, facilitated the 4Humanity clinical trials, the world’s first phase three trial for inactivated vaccine against COVID-19 with over 43,000 volunteers from 125+ nationalities across the pan-Arab region, supported UAE’s healthcare authorities on the national vaccination implementation, employed advanced AI techniques and vast computing resources to accelerate the detection of COVID-19, conducted research into new vaccines and drug therapies, and built Omics Centre of Excellence, the region’s largest and most technologically advanced omics facility that is the backbone for the Emirati Genome Program, the world’s most comprehensive population genomics initiative.

Beyond COVID-19 we have plans and R&D encompassing genomics, imaging and diagnostics, and digitization programs to support the health of future generations. At G42 Healthcare, our plans are large in scale and bold in ambition. We partner extensively with governments, leading international entities, scientists and researchers and the wider medical community who subscribe to our values and our mission as we develop solutions to future-proof the health of nations.

For further information on G42 visit www.g42.ai 

© Press Release 2021

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