A unified platform reshaping Abu Dhabi’s research future
The launch of the Abu Dhabi Health Research Centre marks a significant milestone in the evolution of clinical research across the region. Introduced by PureHealth, the centre has been established as an integrated clinical research division designed to bring all research activities under one unified and highly coordinated platform. With this move, Abu Dhabi has reinforced its position as a rising force in global clinical innovation, aligning scientific excellence with international collaboration and patient-centred outcomes.
Creating a single ecosystem for discovery
The newly launched Abu Dhabi Health Research Centre has been structured to streamline the entire clinical research ecosystem. By consolidating research across hospitals, primary care clinics, and advanced laboratories, the centre functions as a central hub supporting every stage of the research lifecycle. From early protocol development to patient recruitment, regulatory coordination, data analytics, and scientific publication, all processes now operate within one cohesive framework.
This integrated approach has improved efficiency while elevating the quality and scale of research conducted across the emirate. Researchers and clinicians now benefit from shared infrastructure, unified governance, and faster collaboration, enabling discoveries to move more rapidly from concept to clinical application.
Strengthening Abu Dhabi’s global research standing
The launch of the centre was announced during the inaugural ADHRC Research Conference held in Abu Dhabi, an event supported by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. The conference brought together global experts, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare leaders, creating a platform for dialogue on collaboration, innovation, and the future of clinical research.
Through this initiative, Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its role as a global hub for life sciences. By empowering healthcare groups to lead ethically governed and impactful research, the emirate is accelerating scientific discovery while ensuring patient safety and long-term societal benefit.
Research at scale across hospitals and clinics
One of the defining strengths of the centre is its scale. Research operations have been consolidated across sixteen hospitals, a wide network of primary healthcare clinics, and multiple advanced laboratories throughout Abu Dhabi. At present, the centre is managing more than one hundred active clinical research studies.
These studies are supported by over three hundred principal investigators and a scientific workforce exceeding seven hundred researchers and scientists. This depth of expertise allows the centre to run complex, multi-phase trials while maintaining rigorous scientific and ethical standards.
Partnerships with government entities, global biopharmaceutical companies, and leading academic institutions further reinforce the research ecosystem. These collaborations ensure that studies are aligned with national healthcare priorities while remaining connected to international scientific advancements.
Focused on high-impact medical priorities
The centre has placed strong emphasis on high-impact research areas that address both current and future healthcare needs. These include personalised medicine, rare diseases, advanced diagnostics, and emerging healthcare technologies. By targeting these priorities, the research conducted aims to deliver meaningful improvements in patient outcomes while contributing to global medical knowledge.
The infrastructure supporting this work is equally advanced. The centre includes inpatient Clinical Trial Units alongside the largest outpatient Clinical Trial Unit in the Middle East. This outpatient facility alone has the capacity to manage more than eight hundred clinical trial participant visits each day, enabling large-scale studies without compromising patient experience or care quality.
A multidisciplinary engine of innovation
More than two thousand five hundred specialists and consultants support the research ecosystem across disciplines such as artificial intelligence, precision medicine, oncology, neurology, and population health. This multidisciplinary approach allows research teams to tackle complex health challenges from multiple perspectives, leading to more holistic and effective solutions.
The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning plays a critical role in this strategy. Advanced analytics are used to process large datasets, identify disease patterns, predict health trends, and uncover new therapeutic targets. These technologies are accelerating discovery while improving accuracy and efficiency across studies.
Building on a strong research legacy
The centre builds on PureHealth’s extensive research experience. Over time, the organisation has supported more than one hundred thousand clinical study participants and conducted research across twenty-two therapeutic areas. This foundation has enabled the new centre to scale rapidly while maintaining robust governance and operational excellence.
Each year, the organisation contributes to more than four hundred scientific publications, reflecting a strong culture of academic contribution and knowledge sharing. This output not only enhances the region’s scientific reputation but also ensures that insights generated locally contribute to global healthcare progress.
Leading longevity and preventive health research
Among the most notable research initiatives is the region’s largest longevity trial. The current phase, known as Longevity 2.0, includes more than three thousand participants and builds on the success of its earlier phase. The initial phase achieved a measurable improvement in healthspan, demonstrating the impact of lifestyle-focused interventions on long-term health and disease prevention.
These findings underscore the centre’s commitment to shifting healthcare from reactive treatment to proactive prevention. By focusing on early detection, risk reduction, and long-term disease management, research outcomes are designed to improve quality of life while reducing the burden on healthcare systems.
A catalyst for future-ready healthcare
The launch of the Abu Dhabi Health Research Centre represents more than just an organisational milestone. It signals a strategic shift toward a future-ready healthcare model where research, innovation, and clinical care are seamlessly connected. By uniting expertise, infrastructure, and partnerships under one platform, Abu Dhabi is creating an environment where scientific discovery translates into real-world impact.
As the centre continues to expand its research portfolio and global collaborations, its influence is expected to extend well beyond the region. Through sustained investment in science, technology, and talent, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself at the forefront of global clinical research and medical innovation.
Do follow UAE Stories on Instagram
Read Next – Plan Ahead with the UAE Public Holidays 2026 Leave Guide
