DNDI and Dubai Health Sign a Partnership to Advance Research and Training in Neglected Diseases

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE; and His Excellency Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, today witnessed the signing of eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at deepening collaboration across key sectors including infrastructure, healthcare, higher education, maritime services, logistics, and private sector engagement. The MoUs were inked during a special event organised by Dubai Chambers in Mumbai. The signing ceremony formed part of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s official visit to India.

Speaking on the occasion, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said: “India and the UAE are bound by a deep-rooted friendship and a shared dedication to shaping the future through innovation, opportunity, and sustainable growth. Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, our two nations continue to build on a strong foundation of trust and collaboration.“

“These MoUs broaden and deepen our strategic partnership in line with our mutual commitment to creating resilient economies, empowering communities, and advancing knowledge, technology, and human development. Together, we are advancing a model of international cooperation that delivers real impact and long-term benefits for the people of our two countries.”

“We look forward to accelerating progress in sectors that matter most for our collective future, building on the strong momentum we have achieved through frameworks like the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Bilateral Investment Treaty. The continued growth in trade, investment, and institutional cooperation underscores the strategic depth of our relationship and the vast potential of our shared vision.”

Strengthening business community ties
In a series of agreements that underscore the vital role of business communities in advancing collaboration and mutual growth, Dubai Chambers signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The MoUs were signed by His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; R. Mukundan, Vice President of CII; Anant Goenka, Senior Vice President of FICCI; Jyoti Vij, Director General of FICCI; and Sunita Ramnathkar, Vice President of IMC.

The MoUs establish a framework for enhanced cooperation in several key areas. Dubai Chambers will support Indian businesses in establishing or expanding their presence in Dubai and provide strategic services aimed at accelerating the investment process. The three Indian entities will provide similar support to Dubai-based companies exploring business opportunities in India, including facilitating business matching services and networking activities. This support will also be extended during the pre- and post-expansion phases.

The agreements also outline collaboration in joint participation at trade fairs, investment missions, conferences, and exhibitions held in both markets. In addition, the parties have committed to the regular exchange of information and data on bilateral trade and business trends, helping to identify new opportunities and strengthen private sector cooperation. The MoUs align with Dubai Chambers’ strategy to promote international expansion and build bridges of cooperation with key global markets.

By enhancing institutional ties with India’s most influential industry bodies, the MoUs position the private sector as important drivers of the economic partnership, aligned with Dubai Chambers’ strategy to promote international expansion, competitiveness, and sustainable growth.

Future-ready supply chains
As part of efforts to reinforce UAE-India connectivity and future-proof global trade infrastructure, DP World signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RITES, a leading infrastructure, consultancy, and engineering firm under India’s Ministry of Railways. Signed by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, and Rahul Mithal, Chairman and Managing Director of RITES, the agreement aims to harness the expertise of both organisations to develop resilient, tech-enabled supply chains and strengthen modern logistics and maritime capabilities, aligned with the long-term economic visions of both nations.

The agreement aims to further leverage the UAE-India Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC), a digital platform launched in September 2024 and developed in collaboration with RITES, to streamline customs, logistics, and regulatory processes between the two countries. The agreement opens the door to collaboration on projects spanning multimodal logistics parks, free trade zones, port connectivity, and rail freight solutions, supporting the two countries’ shared goal to build diversified trade routes that can withstand global disruptions and drive long-term economic growth.

Drydocks World, a DP World company, signed an MoU with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a leading Indian shipbuilding and maintenance facility, under India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The agreement, signed by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and Madhu S Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of CSL, establishes a framework for the joint development of ship repair clusters in Kochi and Vadinar, in India, as well as offshore fabrication, and collaborative marine engineering solutions. This partnership leverages the complementary strengths of both organisations and supports the goals of Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. It aims to contribute to modernising India’s maritime infrastructure, expanding its ship repair industry, and creating new employment opportunities.

Partnership for educational excellence
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), one of Asia’s leading business schools and India’s top-ranked business schools, to establish a world-class IIMA campus in Dubai, marking a significant milestone in academic cooperation. The MoU was signed by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIMA. The agreement seeks to support the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 by developing business leadership talent and contributing to the development of a globally competitive innovation ecosystem in the emirate.

The IIMA Dubai Campus is envisioned as a global centre of excellence for higher education, skill development, and innovation, serving the broader Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia regions. The campus will be developed in two phases. In the first phase, IIMA will be allocated space within the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s premier higher education hub, providing world-class educational resources designed to foster innovation and academic excellence. Under the agreement, IIMA aims to launch its One-Year Full-Time MBA Programme in Dubai later this year. In the second phase, IIMA will be allotted land for the establishment of a permanent campus, which is expected to become operational by 2029.

Advancing inclusive healthcare
In another agreement that furthers a common commitment to delivering inclusive healthcare, Dubai Health signed an MoU to establish the UAE-India Friendship Hospital (UIFH), a new not-for-profit initiative aimed at providing inclusive and accessible healthcare, in Dubai. The MoU was signed by Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health, and Founding Trustees of the UIFH including Faizal Kottikollon, Chairman of KEF Holdings and Chairman of the UAE India Business Council - UAE Chapter (UIBC UC); Nilesh Ved, Chairman of Apparel Group and Founding Member of UIBC UC; Siddharth Balachandran, Executive Chairman of Buimerc Corporation and Founding Member of UIBC UC; Tariq Chauhan, Vice Chairman of EFS Facilities and Founding Member of UIBC UC; and Ramesh S Ramakrishnan, Chairman of Transworld Group.

The UAE-India Friendship Hospital (UIFH) is a joint philanthropic initiative endorsed at the leadership level by the governments of Dubai and India that aims to deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare services.  

An eighth agreement was formalised between the Dubai Medical University (DMU) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the country’s top-ranked medical institute. The cooperation  agreement, signed by His Excellency Eng. Yahya Saeed Lootah, Vice Chairman of the Board of DMU, and Ahamadulla Shariff, Head of the Department of Anatomy at AIIMS, aims to strengthen academic and research collaboration by promoting direct cooperation between faculty, administrative staff, departments, and research centres of both institutions.

Key areas of collaboration include student and staff exchange programmes, joint research in priority fields such as infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and climate change, and the development of global health initiatives. The agreement also provides a framework for the exchange of academic materials and research publications. The agreement also covers cooperation with AIIMS in areas related to AI research, development, and digital transformation in medical education and healthcare.

At World Health Expo (WHX) Tech 2025, Dubai Health announced a series of new and strengthened collaborations with leading institutions across academic, technology, and government. These partnerships underscore the integrated academic health systems’ commitment to driving innovation in healthcare delivery, research and education.

Dr. Hanan Al Suwaidi, Chief Business Officer and Acting Chief Academic Officer at Dubai Health, said: “We are grateful to WHX Tech 2025 for creating a platform that brings together leaders in healthcare and technology to spark ideas and strengthen partnerships. These collaborations reflect our mission as an integrated academic health system, where care, learning, discovery, and giving come together to advance health for humanity. Through these concerted efforts, we are opening new pathways to advance technology-driven healthcare innovation.”

Siemens Healthineers

Through an MOU, Dubai Health and Siemens Healthineers will establish a strategic innovation partnership. The agreement provides a basis for collaboration on defining innovation programs, including the Design4Change Innovation Week program set for February 2026. A separate workstream will focus on co-designing a sustainability in healthcare program for the Dubai Health Leadership Academy.

Ayman Al Hussein, Country Head, Siemens Healthineers UAE, said: “We are pleased to join forces with Dubai Health to foster innovation and build capabilities that will shape the future of healthcare in the region. This partnership, anchored in the Siemens Healthineers SHIFT ecosystem, provides the basis for defining innovation programs such as the Design4Change Innovation Week in February 2026, as well as collaboratively designing the Dubai Health Leadership Academy program aimed at building sustainable talent in healthcare. Together, these initiatives reflect our shared commitment to advancing sustainable, patient-centered solutions.

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF)

The Healthcare Sandbox, a new pilot initiative under Sandbox Dubai, was launched through a collaboration between Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Chambers, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Digital Authority, and Dubai Health. The initiative will provide a platform for the development and testing of a wide range of technologies and use cases across healthcare. This collaboration builds on Dubai Health’s broader partnership with DFF, whose ‘Research, Development, and Innovation Program’ supports high-impact research projects in the city. Among its 2024 recipients was PainDetect, an MBRU-led project advancing AI-driven tools for objective pain measurement.

Prototypes for Humanity

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), which leads the learning and discovery arms of Dubai Health, entered an MOU with Dubai Future Solutions - Prototypes for Humanity to advance the research and development of health science startups, with their solutions to be tested and validated across Dubai Health’s healthcare facilities. One such initiative is with Virufy, an AI-powered mobile application designed for the rapid and cost-effective prescreening of infectious respiratory diseases. The collaboration unites Dubai Health and Nafasy.AI, a Dubai venture set up by Prototypes for Humanity to advance the technology developed by the teams at Virufy and the University of Washington, to build scalable tools for public health protection.

Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI)

Building on their collaboration since 2019, Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) and MBRU will continue their productive partnership on innovation and design thinking to develop healthcare solutions. The partnership will include faculty and student exchanges, joint research and projects, such as the Design4Health Bootcamp.

Mohammed Abdullah, President of Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) shared:
“At DIDI, we believe that design thinking and innovation are powerful catalysts for shaping the future of healthcare. By embedding AI into the way our students ideate, prototype, and co-create, we are equipping the next generation of designers with the tools to address complex challenges and deliver meaningful impact. Our ongoing collaboration with MBRU reflects our shared commitment to reimagining healthcare solutions—where creativity meets technology, and human-centered design drives sustainable change for the world and humanity at large.”

Schneider Electric & Microsoft

Dubai Health also signed agreements to collaborate with Schneider Electric and Microsoft to drive innovation in healthcare facilities, focusing on 'Intelligent Hospital' initiatives that enhance operational efficiency.

Huawei

In addition to new agreements, Dubai Health continues to be Huawei’s partner of choice for the testing and validation of its latest healthcare technologies. Building on earlier work with smartwatch health features, the partnership brings together expertise in healthcare and technology to advance innovative digital health solutions.

Dubai, UAE, November 2025: In recognition of World Children's Day, Boston Children's Hospital, one of the world's leading pediatric academic health centers, and Dubai Health have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reflecting their shared commitment to elevating children’s health and supporting patient care through clinical excellence, education, research, and philanthropy.

The MOU was signed by Dr. Ryan Nagy, MD, MBA, President and Chief Operating Officer of Boston Children's Hospital, and Dr. Mohamed Al Awadhi, Executive Director of the Dubai Health Women and Children's Campus, which includes Al Jalila Children's Hospital, Latifa Hospital, and the Dubai Fertility Centre. The agreement establishes a collaborative framework that will guide joint efforts to strengthen pediatric services across Dubai Health's network.

The Boston Children’s Hospital delegation included Dr. Ryan Nagy, MD, MBA,  President and Chief Operating Officer, Christopher R. Viney, JD, Executive Vice President, System General Counsel; John G. Meara, MD, DMD, MBA, Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Diala Atassi, MBA, Vice President- Global Alliances; Michelle Niescierenko MD, MPH, Director Global Health Program.

The delegation was received by His Excellency Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health, as well as Dr. Hanan AlSuwaidi, Deputy CEO and Chief Academic Officer; Dr. Muna Tahlak, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Tarek Fathey, Chief Clinical Officer; Dr. Mohamed Al Awadhi, Executive Director of the Dubai Health Women and Children's Campus, and Atif Albraiki, Chief Digital and AI Officer.

Dr. Ryan Nagy, MD, MBA, Boston Children's Hospital President and Chief Operating Officer, said, "Boston Children's Hospital is proud to join forces with Dubai Health in a shared commitment to support pediatric care, education, and research. Together, we are committed to supporting the health system's mission to deliver exceptional outcomes for children and families in the region."

Dr. Mohamed Al Awadhi, Executive Director of the Dubai Health Women and Children's Campus, said: "We are grateful for this partnership with Boston Children's Hospital, a globally recognized leader in pediatric care and treatment. This collaboration strengthens key initiatives across our integrated academic health system by enhancing the quality of care for children, expanding training for clinicians and students, advancing research and innovation, and reinforcing our commitment to giving through meaningful programs. We look forward to working together to improve pediatric health, deliver better outcomes for children and their families across the region, and further our vision to advance health for humanity."

The visit also provided the Boston Children's Hospital delegation with an opportunity to learn more about Dubai Health's integrated academic health system and to explore potential future collaborations across clinical services, education, research, and philanthropy. Both organizations affirmed their commitment to building a long-term partnership that supports the advancement of pediatric healthcare in Dubai and contributes to the broader global effort to improve outcomes for children everywhere.