Our Correspondent
The UAE’s Group 42 and China’s CNBG (Sinopharm) are initiating a joint project for COVID-19 vaccine production in the UAE. This was announced at the launch ceremony of the new project, “Life Sciences and Vaccine Manufacturing in the UAE”, in Abu Dhabi during the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Attending the ceremony was H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State.
Marking the launch, Sheikh Abdullah said: “The UAE and China today inaugurated a new chapter in their historic and distinguished relations under the title “Strategic Partnership for Humanity”…. We are continuing the efforts that we initiated at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. A partnership that sets an example to be emulated for collaboration between friendly nations in times of crises.”
The launch ceremony started with a short video on the UAE-China cooperation during the COVID-19 crisis.
Addressing the ceremony Liu Jingzhen, Chairman of Sinopharm, said:”By taking this step, the UAE has paved the way for the registration and commercial production of Sinopharm’s vaccine in an embodiment of the significant efforts made by the two friendly nations to recover from the crisis.”
Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, said the new project will “revolutionise the life sciences industry in the region over the coming years.” “G42 and CNBG have made significant achievements since 2020 thanks to their common vision and values,” he added.
Launching the project, Sheikh Abdullah and the Chinese Foreign Minister carried a prototype of the new vaccine and took a commemorative photo. This was followed by a live streaming from the vaccine production site in the UAE.
The strategic partnership between the two nations and the latest developments in the region in addition to an array of international and regional issues of interest were discussed during the meeting.
