Overview of the New Facility
OZON Pharmaceuticals has entered into a “musataha agreement” for the establishment of a substantive new manufacturing facility at Dubai Industrial City, in what represents a major investment into the regional industrial and logistics sector. The new facility will span 150,700 square feet, be an investment in excess of AED293 million, and is due to reach full operational capacity next year.
PC: Wam.ae
Ceremony and Key Attendees
The agreement was signed during the official ceremony held within INNOPROM 2024 in Ekaterinburg. Among the participants were Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; and Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The agreement was signed by Saud Abu Alshawareb, the executive vice president of Industrial, TECOM Group, and Dr. Mustafa Khalaf, general manager at OZON Pharmaceuticals.
Strategic Importance and Local Impact
Saud Abu Alshawareb added that localising medical manufacturing enhances the ability to improve supply chains, response times, and really self-sufficiency—all very critical factors in building resilience in the healthcare sector. This new facility also resonates with the strategic goals of the UAE—Operation 300bn, Make in the Emirates, and the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’.
Dr. Mustafa Khalaf emphasised that OZON Pharmaceuticals is committed to making a difference in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors in the UAE, Middle East, and CIS regions. The facility will provide a continuous supply of medicines of quality and contribute improvements in technological innovation and raise standards of healthcare delivery.
Project Phases and Capacity
The project will be undertaken in two phases. The first phase is pegged at an investment of AED110 million and is aimed at building an annual production capacity exceeding 300 million tablets. This facility is designed with the key markets in the GCC and regional markets of Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, and Libya in view.
Employment and Technological Features
In the first phase, the facility will employ 100 specialists in the fields of quality assurance, pharmaceutical control, manufacturing. Further, advanced medicine tracking systems allow for end-to-end traceability and security throughout the cycle of product development.
Role of Dubai Industrial City: Industry Presence
Dubai Industrial City is one of the region’s major industrial and logistic hubs, housing more than 1,000 local, regional, and international companies. Tenants of note include Standard Carpets, Himalaya Wellness, IFFCO Group, and Unilever, in addition to more than 300 working factories. OZON Pharmaceuticals on board, therefore, helped entrench the city’s new role as a strategic centre in the region for such industrial and medical manufacturing.
The establishment of the new facility of OZON Pharmaceuticals in Dubai Industrial City features as one of the major steps being taken towards reshaping the local industrial and healthcare sectors. This AED293 million investment not only enhances the potential for local production, but will also go a long way towards contributing to the broad goals of economic diversification and resilience set for the UAE. As the facility undergoes progressive stages of development, it is likely to become a centre for satisfying growing healthcare needs of various GCC countries and beyond.
