UAE BioTech Symposium Announces Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE Program

The UAE BioTech Symposium is designed for U.S. and international BioTech owners and executives new to exploring opportunities in the UAE market

The UAE BioTech Symposium will be hosted by Secondcell Bio in partnership with AmCham Abu Dhabi’s new BioTech Committee and Masdar City

Secondcell Bio CEO Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD will serve as symposium Chairman https://linktr.ee/kambizshekdar

ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The United Arab Emirates’ leadership is heavily investing in developing its knowledge-based economy, with a strategic focus on expanding the biotechnology sector. The UAE government provides heavy incentives for BioTech companies to establish a presence in the UAE.

The UAE BioTech Symposium aims to pioneer biotech sector development in Abu Dhabi and leverage the Emirate’s leadership potential within the global industry.

“The UAE has no legacy BioTech, allowing stakeholders to cherry-pick from cutting-edge technologies to leapfrog the global BioTech industry,” says Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD, Secondcell Bio CEO and AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Founding Chairman, “100% foreign ownership and attractive tax incentives offered by the UAE government makes the UAE a desirable place for BioTech companies to explore expansion.”

Hosted by Secondcell Bio with the support of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee and Masdar City, the Symposium will take place November 6-8, 2024 in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The inaugural symposium will be followed by quarterly roadshow events at destinations throughout the Arab Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

The premier event is limited to 150 qualified U.S. and international BioTech owners and executives interested in exploring the rapidly expanding BioTech and Life Sciences sector in the UAE.

“We are pleased to invite BioTech owners and executives from around the world to explore firsthand what has attracted Secondcell Bio to the UAE,” says Fabienne Duchini, Abu Dhabi Partnership Officer at Secondcell Bio, “The UAE has committed to becoming a global biotech hub and is making strategic investments to attract biotech companies to the UAE.”

Attendees of the symposium will have the opportunity to hear from an esteemed group of internationally recognized speakers and government representatives, including Her Excellency Dr. Maryam Matar, Founder and Chairperson of UAE Genetic Diseases Association, who will share her expertise on “Rare Disease and Precision Medicine.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Fi08xnCGg

Exclusive immersive visits to local laboratories and research hospitals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will showcase the cutting-edge capabilities and facilities in the United Arab Emirates healthcare and research sectors.

The symposium will be held at Masdar City, a pioneering sustainable urban community and world-class business and technology hub that has cultivated a thriving ecosystem of leading global organizations dedicated to evolving research and innovation.

The UAE BioTech Symposium will offer an optional weekend agenda featuring a variety of cultural, leisure and lifestyle experiences in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The weekend activities have been selected by luxury travel agency 2xceed Destination Management to enable participants to explore all that these two Emirati destinations have to offer outside the official program.

The mission of the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee is to establish a BioTech sector in Abu Dhabi with a focus on promoting opportunities for U.S. BioTech companies in Abu Dhabi and throughout the Middle East, bringing together government, investor, corporate and academic stakeholders.

The founding members of the AmCham BioTech Committee include Secondcell Bio, Intelligenix Advanced Diagnostic, Extend Biosciences, Halia Therapeutics and Jones, Lang, LaSalle (JLL.) Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD, CEO of Secondcell Bio, serves as Founding Chairman.

UAE BioTech Symposium Agenda

MASDAR CITY, ABU DHABI & DUBAI, UAE

November 6-8, 2024

Join us and explore what’s unfolding in the UAE! We are thrilled to invite 150 BioTech owners and executives new to the UAE to our exclusive guided lab tours. RSVP to AmCham Abu Dhabi Events at http://www.uaebiotechsymposium.ae/ [To go live shortly via  https://linktr.ee/kambizshekdar].

CHAIRMAN’S PERSONAL PORTAL & CONTACT INFORMATION

AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Founding Chairman Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD https://linktr.ee/kambizshekdar

BIOTECH & LIFE SCIENCES SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

Day 1 Agenda | Thursday November 7, 2024, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi

Master of Ceremony

Masdar City Representative Mohamad Marwan (Arabic)

Secondcell Bio Abu Dhabi Partnerships Officer Fabienne Duchini (English) 

9:00am Registration 

9:50am Opening Remarks | AmCham Abu Dhabi CEO Liz Beneski

9:55am Welcoming Remarks | Masdar City CEO Ahmed Baghoum, MS, MBA

10:00am Abu Dhabi to Lead the World in BioTech |AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Chairman; 1st UAE Inventor-Class Golden Visa Recipient; The Rockefeller University alumnus; Secondcell Bio CEO Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD

10:15am BioTech Sector Growth in Different Geographies

Moderator: Tareq Abu Nadi, CEO and Co-Founder, Attentive Science and/or Islam ElTantawy from IROS CRO (M42 Company)

United States of America | Former Executive Director The Rockefeller University Population Council R&D; Sr. Scientist Reproductive Health Global Program; Associate Editor and past President Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB); Secondcell Bio Chief Scientific and Health Policy Advisor; The Rockefeller University Guest Investigator, Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology Dr. Patricia L. Morris, MS, PhDUnited Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi Investment Office [Representative TBD] United Arab Emirates | Masdar City Asset Management/Business Development Officer Karim Deen, MRICSEuropean Union | Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, Acting Director of Innovation Department Edvinas GrikšasKuwait | Deerfield Management Operating Partner and Kuwait Life Sciences Center Former Chief Business Development Officer Dr. Moussaad Al-Razouki, MD, MBA

11:15am Coffee

11:45am Introduction to AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Members 
Launch of “BioTech Cluster in Abu Dhabi and GCC” White Paper, led by JLL on behalf of the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee.

Moderator: Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD, AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Chairman, CEO Secondcell Bio

Intelligenix Advanced Diagnostics | CEO Dr. Carlton Donald, PhDExtend Biosciences | CEO Dr. Tarik Soliman, PhD Halia Therapeutics | COO Jared Bearss, MBAInnova Therapeutics | CEO Dr. Robert Ryan, PhDJones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL) |Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences Sandeep Sinha, MBA

12:45pm Lunch

1:45pm The Emirati Genome and Future of Medicine in the UAE

Moderators: National Reference Laboratory, M42, Molecular Genomics Department Head Dr. Hemad Yasaei, PhD and Secondcell Bio CEO Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD

Rare Disease and Precision Medicine | UAE Genetic Diseases Association Founder and Chairperson Her Excellency Dr. Maryam Matar, MD, PhDLongevity | Columbia University Center for Human Longevity Director, Columbia University Medical Center Hamilton Southworth Professor and Chairman Emeritus of Medicine, and Secondcell Bio Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Donald Landry, MD PhDMedicine for the World | Research Foundation for Cure Initiatives Director and former Clinton Health Access Initiative board member John Rockefeller, JD, MPH, DrPHClinical Trials | Abu Dhabi Department of Health Director of Research Dr. Shahrukh Hashmi, MD, MPH

2:45pm Closing Remarks: From UAE to GCC to the World
GCC Connect Consulting CEO, founder and former Embassy of the United States of America in Kuwait U.S. Commercial Specialist Yousif Almahdi, MBA

2:50pm Joint Announcement by AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee founding members
Secondcell Bio | Intelligenix Advanced Diagnostics | Extend Biosciences | Halia Therapeutics | Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL) 

3:00pm Ticketed Tour of BioTech and Healthcare Entities in Abu Dhabi
Grouping of: National Reference Laboratory and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi of M42 | PureHealth/SEHA | *SeaWorld Abu Dhabi Veterinary Hospital & Laboratories | [*TBC + List in Formation]

8:30pm Powered Mix & Meet Reception in Masdar City

10:00pm Transportation to Dubai
Group transportation and black car service accommodation options are available

Day 2 Agenda | Friday November 8, 2024, Dubai

9:00am Ticketed Tour of BioTech and Healthcare Entities in Dubai
Al Jalila Foundation | King’s College of London Hospital in Dubai | Grouping of: Dubai Equine Hospital, Zabeel Veterinary Hospital, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory & Molecular Biology & Genomics Centre

GRATEFUL THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

UAE BIOTECH SYMPOSIUM FOUNDING PARTNERS
AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee| Masdar City

AMCHAM ABU DHABI BIOTECH COMMITTEE (*Founding Member)
Secondcell Bio* | Intelligenix Advanced Diagnostics* | Extend Biosciences* | Halia Therapeutics*
Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL)* | Innova Therapeutics
To learn more, go here: www.uaebiotechsymposium.com | For more information, contact committee chairman Kambiz Shekdar at ([email protected])

AMCHAM ABU DHABI BUSINESS COMMUNITY
AmCham Abu Dhabi corporate members representing established sectors, welcoming friendship and support [List in Formation]

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY
The UAE is open to the world. The USA leads the world in the BioTech and Life Sciences sector.
The following business chambers are sharing our forum with their own BioTech nationals interested in building an international community of pioneers.
[List in Formation]
American Business Council Kuwait (ABCK AmCham Kuwait) | Oman American Business Council (AmCham Oman)

KNOWLEDGE PROVIDER
Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL) | Research Foundation for Cure Initiatives

FOUNDING SPONSORS
Halia Therapeutics | Innova Therapeutics

UAE-EXCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT EXHIBITORS
UAE government-linked entities with information about their services and business incentives
Hosted by Masdar City: Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO)/Abu Dhabi Residents Office (ADRO) | UAE University | Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)/Hub71* | [*TBC + List in Formation]

INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT & FOUNDING CORPORATE EXHIBITORS
U.S. and other international corporate and government-linked entities [*TBC + List in Formation]
AmCham Abu Dhabi | Atkins Realis | GRÜNECKER Patent Attorneys and Attorneys-at-law | Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH Leader Life Sciences | 2xceed Destination Management | U.S. Commercial Service* | U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)*

FOUNDING MEDIA & PRESS
Manhattan’s WestView News, published by George Capsis & Dusty Berke |Russo Partners LLC |One Week Wonders Studio | Sky Falcon Events | Nature Love Home LLC | Elya Rizk Translations | Jonathan Marder & Company

CHAIRMAN’S PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Research Foundation for Cure Initiatives | 2xceed Destination Management | The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Center Rotana Hotels Al Noukada Café النوخذه كافيه | Byblos Lebanese Grill | Zahrat Lebnon زهرة لبنان | tashas Al Bateen | Asyak Grill MOATASEM | Santal Perfumes & Incense | The Stables, Sheikh Zayed Road | Roberto’s Restaurant & Lounge | Galinsky Coaching Paul Smith

NON-SCIENTIFIC & TICKETED PROGRAM

FROM OIL TO MEDICINE GALA DINNER | ABU DHABI, UAE
Your Arabic Elya Rizk and American Fabienne Duchini Masters of Ceremony
Wednesday November 6, 2024

Exclusive Afternoon Cultural Tour of Abu Dhabi | Curated by AmCham Abu Dhabi CEO Liz Beneski & Trade Dinner Reception | Announcement by Chairperson and members of the BioTech Committee

“From Oil to Medicine”
Artistic inspiration by 2024 Emmy Awards Winner Machine Dazzle and Carnegie Hall’s resident chamber orchestra, the multiple Grammy Awards nominated The Knights! in collaboration with Grammy Award Winning Park Avenue Armory Gala Director Kevin Newbury & Emirati artists [TBA]

Let the Adventure Begin!
Tribute to the late Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Günter Blobel, MD, PhD, Head of the Laboratory of Cell Biology at The Rockefeller University, co-Founder of Research Foundation for Cure Initiatives, Founder of The Friends of Dresden & advocate for peace and understanding among peoples as the bedrock upon which we may hope to spark the knowledge-based BioTech & Life Sciences sector in the UAE for the benefit of humankind. 
Tribute in memory of Günter by his former mentee Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD, Founding Chairman of the now launching, inshallah ان شاء الله
AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee

Marhaba & Welcome
Abu Dhabi Cultural Institution Chief Curator [TBA]

“BIOTECH IS THE FUTURE”
United States Embassy in the UAE Regional Senior Commercial Officer for GCC and Commercial Counselor for UAE Tanya Cole

Special Announcement & Recognitions
Founding Members of the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee

Let’s Dine
Dinner is served [Abu Dhabi Location TBA]

OTHER RECEPTIONS & DINNERS | ABU DHABI & DUBAI, UAE

SUPPER @ 7
Tuesday November 5, 2024
Private Monthly Dinner Salon in Abu Dhabi & Dubai [Details TBA]

BIOTECH PIONEERS, FAREWELL!
Friday November 8, 2024
Private Closing Reception at Sunken Garden at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)
Co-Hosted for their nationals by other international Embassies in the UAE and their corresponding Chambers of Commerce

شكراً TEAM EVENT
12:00 am Saturday November 9, 2024
Private by-invitation only team thank you event at The Stables, Sheikh Zayed Road

FINE FRAGRANCE RECEPTION
Post-Symposium Date TBA
The Biology of Scent: Cracking the Odor Code | Details TBA

CULTURAL EXCURSIONS | ABU DHABI & DUBAI, UAE
Friday, November 8-Sunday, November 17, 2024 | Abu Dhabi & Dubai
Menu of attractions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai curated by 2xceed [To follow under separate cover]

SAVE THE DATES [tentative]FOR OUR QUARTERLY FORUM AT MASDAR CITY WITH ROADSHOWS

Q1 2025 February 3-4 AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Meeting & Saudi Arabia RoadshowQ2 2025 March 20-21 BioTech Real-Estate, University Pipeline & Workforce DevelopmentQ3 2025 October 3-4 AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee Meeting & Qatar RoadshowQ4 2025 December 5-6 Creating an Attractive Clinical Trial, Regulatory & IP Environment

About UAE BioTech Symposium
UAE BioTech Symposium in partnership with the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee and Masdar City will host quarterly panel discussions and lab tours in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and roadshow destinations throughout the GCC and Middle East. The events are free with attendance limited to prioritize U.S. and international BioTech owners and executives. Program details will be posted online in Arabic and in English as registration for each event goes live via the AmCham Abu Dhabi website.

Arabic site for scientific program: http://www.uaebiotechsymposium.ae
English site for scientific program: https://www.uaebiotechsymposium.com

About UAE BioTech Symposium Chairman Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD
From invention at The Rockefeller University to IPO at New York Stock Exchange to scale-up drug discovery for jointly owned Made-in-Abu-Dhabi IP in the U.A.E., Dr. Kambiz Shekdar is the first U.S. Biotech Abu Dhabi Golden Visa Inventor transitioning to the U.A.E.

Dr. Shekdar, PhD invented Chromovert® Technology while he was a graduate doctoral student in the laboratory of his mentor, the late Nobel laureate & King Faisal Prize winner Dr. Gunter Blobel, MD, PhD. at The Rockefeller University in New York City. For more than 20 years, Dr. Shekdar has been pursuing applications of the same platform technology, now including pursuing the creation of a joint venture with Emirati stakeholders to implement the by-now validated research engine as part of a national-level public-private partnership for drug discovery at scale in the U.A.E. Dr. Shekdar is also a member of the Abu Dhabi, UAE chapter of American Chambers of Commerce where he is Founding Chairman of the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee.
https://linktr.ee/kambizshekdar

To schedule a meeting or private one-on-one press briefing, contact Fabienne Duchini, Abu Dhabi Partnerships Officer at Secondcell Bio, [email protected]

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SOURCE Secondcell Bio, LLC; UAE BioTech Symposium