His Excellency Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), inaugurated the new plant for Geltec that manufactures dietary supplements and medicines at the National Industries Park (NIP) of DP World.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Zones of DP World, UAE Region, and Mr. Vikram Tannan, Geltec Group Director, and the Management and Team of Professionals from Geltec.

Geltec has invested over AED 110 million in the facility and will be producing dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products in soft gelatine capsules and gelatine enrobed tablets, with a rated manufacturing capacity of 1.5 billion units per annum.

Geltec has obtained the necessary approvals of the Ministry of Health and Prevention to build the new plant, considering the cGMP standards set by the FDA. The plant has been designed to cope with the requirements of US, European and Gulf regulatory authorities, as well as other international organizations.

Reinforcing the Country’s Pharmaceutical Production

The opening of Geltec’s new plant for the manufacturing of dietary supplements and medicines at the National Industries Park of DP World is expected to reinforce the UAE’s healthcare sector and to support the partnership with the US and European markets.

This inauguration is the outcome of MoHAP’s keenness on developing the various types of pharmaceutical manufacturing, and finding the proper environment for attracting the global pharmaceutical companies, in addition to the importance of expanding the list of pharmaceutical products manufactured in the UAE with a focus on innovative products that use advanced technologies to localize the manufacturing of biological medicines and enhance competitiveness of the UAE in this field.

It is worth mentioning the existence of 20 pharmaceutical factories in the UAE, the number is expected to reach 36 pharmaceutical factories by the end of 2021.

Vigorous Government Support and Innovative Solutions

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said: “Geltec’s new state-of-the-art facility underlines the importance of our National Industries Park and is a positive step forward in the development of our nation’s manufacturing sector. With strong government support as outlined in Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 and availability of world-class infrastructure, both healthcare and manufacturing are poised for growth.

“The healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector is forecasted to grow globally by eight percent until 2020 and we are seeing signs that indigenous manufacturing of pharmaceuticals will develop over the next few years.

“Through our Parks and Zones such as Jafza and NIP, we are able to support the government’s Industrial Strategy with administrative and setup support services keeping start-up costs low.”

The UAE’s Unique Strategic Location and Infrastructure     

In turn, Mr. Vikram Tannan, Director, Geltec Group, said: “The facility will be using the latest equipment sourced from Canada and Europe. We have also installed Tabgel technology making it the only one in this part of the world and this unique dosage form and technology offers many clinical and commercial advantages.

“We reviewed various locations for our global expansion and selected Dubai due to its strategic location and superb infrastructure.  Dubai is becoming a major hub for healthcare and the government is encouraging integration by supporting major players who intend to participate in the development of the sector.”

National Industries Park (NIP)

NIP is emerging as the GCC’s leading hub for manufacturing, covering 21 sq. km There are more than 270 companies employing over 15,000 people, including leading firms such as Carrefour, Danube, and Nestle. Through Jafza’s One-Stop-Shop programme, NIP is one of the most efficient locations in the GCC for businesses to set up their operations. Its proximity to Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum Airport provides multi-modal connectivity to a region of over 3.5 billion people across the Middle East, North and East Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.