Mansoor Meenai, GM and Head of META Region at Arcera, shares insights on how local manufacturing, Emirati talent, and strategic partnerships are reshaping the UAE’s life sciences landscape and positioning the nation as a regional export hub.
The UAE’s pharmaceutical sector is undergoing a decisive transformation, evolving from a market reliant on imports into an emerging hub for advanced manufacturing, research, and life sciences innovation. Backed by sovereign investment, strategic infrastructure, and globally aligned regulatory frameworks, the country is laying the groundwork for long-term healthcare resilience and export competitiveness.
Arcera, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered pharmaceutical platform, currently has a portfolio of more than 2,200 medicines across over 60 markets and a workforce of 6,000 spanning 90 countries. Through its integrated companies, including Acino, M8 Pharmaceuticals, and Amoun Pharmaceutical Company, Arcera is combining local production with global scale to strengthen medicine security, develop Emirati talent, and address pressing healthcare challenges such as antimicrobial resistance.
Mansoor Meenai, GM and Head of META Region at Arcera, shares how the company is converting national ambition into measurable outcomes, the enablers and challenges of scaling local manufacturing to global standards, and the role Emiratisation, partnerships, and innovation will play in shaping the future of the UAE’s life sciences sector.
Interview Excerpts
How is the UAE translating pharmaceutical self-sufficiency from policy ambition into measurable, on-the-ground outcomes?
Pharmaceutical self-sufficiency in the UAE has moved decisively from policy ambition to measurable industrial action. Arcera’s focus on innovation, strategic partnerships, and advanced manufacturing is directly aligned with strengthening healthcare resilience and supporting the country’s long-term industrial priorities. Today, nearly half of our UAE portfolio is manufactured locally, within a global platform that develops and commercialises more than 2,200 medicines across over 60 markets.
Our partnership with the Emirates Drug Establishment, signed at Make it in the Emirates, is a tangible example of ambition being converted into outcomes. It focuses on expanding local manufacturing capacity, strengthening the strategic medical stockpile, and building the Emirati workforce a self-sufficient system depends on. What is most encouraging is that growth is increasingly measured not only in revenue but in outcomes, such as patients reached, supply chains secured, and local talent developed.
What are the key challenges and enablers in scaling local pharmaceutical manufacturing while maintaining global quality standards?
The key is balancing capital, capability, and continuity. One of the greatest challenges is ensuring manufacturing investment is supported by regulatory excellence, operational maturity, and the ability to meet international benchmarks across increasingly complex therapeutic areas.
The strongest enablers are integrated ecosystems that combine long-term investment, infrastructure, scientific capability, and strategic partnerships. Abu Dhabi is building a strong example of this model, which is why Arcera established its global headquarters here. By bringing together Acino, M8 Pharmaceuticals, and Amoun Pharmaceutical Company under one platform, Arcera has created an integrated business of 6,000 people across 90 markets, with a META footprint spanning 13 countries. Scaling successfully requires creating an environment where long-term capital can be deployed with confidence and where quality and compliance are embedded from the outset.
How can the UAE position itself as a competitive pharmaceutical export hub in an increasingly complex global supply chain environment?
The UAE is well on its way to becoming a competitive export hub, supported by strong market growth, strategic infrastructure investment, and its location at the intersection of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Government investment in industrial zones, trade frameworks, and healthcare infrastructure is creating the foundation for long-term competitiveness.
To sustain this momentum, the country must move beyond manufacturing scale alone and further up the value chain into innovation-led production, licensing, and advanced therapeutics. At Arcera, more than 40 percent of our UAE portfolio is manufactured locally, and we intend to grow that in the coming years.
“Our collaboration with Fosun Pharma is another example of Abu Dhabi serving as a bridge between global biotech innovation and international markets, supporting the UAE’s evolution into a market where medicines are not only manufactured but increasingly researched, developed, and commercialised.”
What role does Emiratisation play in building a sustainable and skilled life sciences workforce for the future?
For the UAE to establish itself as a globally competitive life sciences hub, it must cultivate Emirati talent across clinical innovation, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and research. This ensures the sector is not solely dependent on imported expertise but is building enduring national capability.
At Arcera, this is a strategic priority. Our partnership with the Emirates Drug Establishment focuses on training programs, technical exchanges, workshops, and industry initiatives that equip Emirati professionals with the specialised skills required for advanced manufacturing and life sciences leadership. By creating structured pathways into highly technical and innovation-driven roles, we are contributing to a future-ready workforce capable of operating at international standards.
How is Arcera addressing critical healthcare challenges such as antimicrobial resistance while supporting long-term national resilience?
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent healthcare challenges globally, with implications that extend into national resilience, economic stability, and public health security. Addressing AMR requires more than access to medicines. It demands stronger evidence generation, policy frameworks, health technology assessment, and sustained collaboration between industry, healthcare systems, and policymakers.
Our partnership with the ISPOR UAE Chapter reflects this commitment, focusing on health economics, outcomes research, and health technology assessment, with particular emphasis on strengthening the UAE’s response to AMR. By contributing not only therapies but also scientific expertise, policy support, and ecosystem collaboration, Arcera is helping strengthen the foundations of healthcare resilience while supporting the UAE’s ambition to build a more advanced and future-ready life sciences sector.
Source: Tahawul Tech