Dubai’s pharmaceuticals, medical supplies trade rises 31 per cent to Dhs6.8 billion

The value of Dubai’s external pharmaceutical and medical supplies trade reached Dhs6.8 billion for Q1, 2021 recording a growth of 31 per cent from Dhs5.2 billion in the same period of 2020, according to statistics released by Dubai Customs.

Imports touched Dhs5.3 billion, exports Dhs590 million, while exports and re-exports totalled Dhs1.4 billion.

In terms of volume, Dubai trade in pharma and medical supplies went up 47 per cent from 33,000 tonnes to 48,600 tonnes in the first three months of 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Dubai Customs is committed to streamlining border clearance of medical supplies shipments to ensure they rapidly reach local, regional and global markets without delay, after fulfilling the requirements of the Ministry of Health and Prevention which guarantees high levels of quality and efficiency for these vital products to safeguard the community’s health and safety.


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“Dubai Customs has sought to keep pace with the growing demand for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in light of the current COVID-19 situation, putting more efforts to ensure quick inspection, clearance and release of these strategic goods to meet the community’s needs and maintain product availability in the market,” said Nassim Al Mehairi, manager of the statistics section at Dubai Customs. The recent statistics showed the pivotal role Dubai has been playing as a regional hub for trade in pharmaceutical and medical products thanks to the industry’s sophisticated logistics infrastructure, she explained.

Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) witnessed a 12 per cent growth in its healthcare and pharmaceuticals customer base between 2019-2020.

As one of the most important contributing sectors to the free zone, the healthcare and pharmaceuticals segment is one of the key economic pillars in Jafza. Spanning an area of around 170,000 sqm, and currently, housing 174 companies from 41 countries, the segment provides jobs to 1,100 employees. In 2019, the volume of trade in the segment stood at 25,000 metric tonnes, valued at Dhs900m.

The free zone can support indigenous manufacturing for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector, and has facilities dedicated to the storage of ancillary vaccine preparation and administration items.

The Jebel Ali Port also has temperature-controlled warehouses and also consists of nearly 10,000 reefer points spread across the terminals to power refrigerated containers and support the pharmaceutical trade, according to state-run news agency WAM.

Pharma companies operating within the free zone can also avail of facilities like on-demand warehouses for short term lease with multi-functional storage options, no VAT or customs duties and cost-effective transport services for ease of accessibility and to enable speedier deliveries.

“The boom in the healthcare and pharmaceuticals segment in Jafza has highlighted the core competencies of the sector in the Middle East and the seamless connectivity DP World, UAE Region offers to over 3.5 billion consumers through the highly efficient trade and logistics hub in Jebel Ali, which includes Jafza and the Jebel Ali Port,” said Abdulla bin Damithan, CEO and managing director, DP World – UAE Region and Jafza.

“Our trade and logistics hub has expedited global distribution of Covid-19 equipment and played a key role in the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance, an initiative launched in January 2021. As a smart trade enabler, we have ensured a flawless supply chain throughout 2020, irrespective of the dynamic market conditions.”


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DP World, UAE Region and Jafza will participate in Arab Health 2021 event that will be held in the Dubai World Trade Centre this week.

DP World, UAE Region’s and Jafza’s participation at Arab Health 2021 will open new avenues of growth for companies, further adding value to the economy of the country.

The UAE Government places the highest priority on ensuring that the country has a strong healthcare sector, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said during his visit on Thursday to the 46th edition of the Arab Health Exhibition.

An exceptional level of commitment displayed by the UAE’s medical personnel in serving the community during the recent Covid crisis, combined with a robust infrastructure, helped the nation’s healthcare sector rise to the challenge and safeguard the health and wellbeing of society, he noted.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed his happiness with the resumption of in-person events and conferences in Dubai, which was made possible thanks to a wide range of precautionary measures implemented to ensure a healthy and safe environment for participants. He stressed the importance of these events in strengthening Dubai’s economy.