Mubadala Bio and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) announced a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing the localized packaging and logistics of Lilly’s GLP-1 medicines in Abu Dhabi.
The companies said the partnership was unveiled at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit (ADFHS) 2026, with officials from Mubadala Bio and Lilly involved in the signing and witnessed by representatives including the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE). Mubadala Bio’s Group Deputy CEO Hamad Almarzooqi and Lilly’s Nabil Daoud, President and General Manager, Intercontinental Hub, attended the announcement.
According to the statement, the deal is intended to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s life sciences ecosystem by combining Lilly’s capabilities in discovering, developing and delivering medicines with Mubadala Bio’s integrated life sciences platform. The companies said the collaboration focuses on building advanced pharmaceutical capabilities in Abu Dhabi and supporting global industry partners from the UAE.
KEZAD site to support packaging and warehousing
The announcement states that the partnership will be supported by a 125,000sqm site in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, which the companies say will include packaging and warehousing facilities. Mubadala Bio and Lilly said the facilities are intended to bolster contract manufacturing, packaging and logistics capabilities, and to support service to global partners from the UAE.
The statement said that localized packaging and logistics activities would be introduced in phases, subject to technical, quality and regulatory requirements.
Regulatory and market context cited in the release
The release also referenced UAE regulatory and launch activity for GLP-1 related therapies. It said the Emirates Drug Establishment approved Foundayo (orforglipron) for chronic weight management in April, adding that the UAE was described as the second country in the world to register the medicine. It further said that in Abu Dhabi, the treatment was introduced for eligible patients under a Personalized Weight Management Program launched by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre in June 2025.
In addition, the release said the UAE was an early launch market for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in August 2022 following US FDA approval.
Company comments
Mubadala Bio Chairman Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri said the agreement is a “defining moment” for the company, adding that it strengthens the UAE’s supply in key therapeutic areas and reflects confidence from Lilly in the country as a partner and base for serving the region and global markets.
Lilly’s Nabil Daoud said the agreement is intended to strengthen Lilly’s long-term presence in the UAE and contribute to the development of its life sciences ecosystem, describing the collaboration as combining Lilly’s medicines expertise with Mubadala Bio’s capabilities.
Lilly leadership also said collaboration across healthcare ecosystems is important to translating innovation into patient impact, while Lilly manufacturing operations executives emphasized making medicines “safe and reliable” and said the company relies on partners that share its focus on innovation, safety and quality.
For its part, Mubadala Bio said it aims to build a globally connected life sciences company from Abu Dhabi and apply international quality, manufacturing and regulatory standards across its operations.
The companies did not provide timelines for when phased packaging and logistics activities would begin beyond the phased approach described.
