The UAE Fourth Biosecurity Conference, organized by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) under the theme ‘Towards Sustainable Biosecurity’, concluded today in Dubai.

The forum drew the participation of biosecurity experts from the US, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Sudan, Japan, and Australia, in addition to local specialists from the government and academia.

The two-day event highlighted global best practices in improving the detection and control of biological agents, and explored the use of AI as a tool to boost biosecurity. It also facilitated capacity building in biosecurity and discussed current biohazard concerns in the UAE and abroad.

The conference emphasized the importance of national and international cooperation, data sharing, benchmarking, the inclusion of the private sector and academia in the decision-making process, and leveraging new technologies to ensure the efficiency of biosecurity measures.

The participants recommended stepping up border biosecurity and establishing smart ports to enhance biosecurity levels without affecting the flow of people and commodities. To increase public engagement, the attendees concurred on the need to raise awareness about the topic, build the competencies of laboratory employees, including cleaners and security workers, as well as incorporate biosecurity in school curricula.

The event comprised four key sessions: Challenges to Biosecurity, The Impact of Good Practice on Achieving Biosecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Biosecurity, and Innovation and Security in Biotechnology.

In addition, the agenda included specialized workshops that addressed the scientific and technological developments in global biosecurity, capacity building of biosafety laboratories, strengthening preparedness and response capacity for biological events, and risk assessment of genome editing.

Moreover, the conference featured an exhibition of cutting-edge biotechnologies from the public and private sectors, as well as a discussion entitled ‘Biosecurity Laboratory: Smart Ports for Better Biosecurity’ with a focus on the ways to counter biohazards at the country entry points.