Company announcementAnalysis
Lilly and Mubadala Bio establish pharmaceutical packaging facility in Abu Dhabi
The partnership will operate from a 125,000 square metre site at KEZAD for GLP-1 medicine packaging and logistics.
Eli Lilly and Company and Mubadala Bio announced a collaboration to establish pharmaceutical packaging and logistics operations for GLP-1 medicines in Abu Dhabi. The agreement was disclosed at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026. Hamad Almarzooqi, Group Deputy CEO at Mubadala Bio, and Nabil Daoud, who serves as President and General Manager for Lilly's Intercontinental Hub, signed the partnership. Witnesses to the signing included Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, who directs the Emirates Drug Establishment, and Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri, Chairman of Mubadala Bio. Tayllit Aherdan, Vice President and General Manager for Lilly Gulf covering the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, also attended.
Facility specifications at KEZAD#
The operations will be supported from a 125,000 square metre site at KEZAD in Abu Dhabi. The site will comprise packaging and warehousing facilities for pharmaceutical contract manufacturing, packaging and logistics. The facility will support the localised packaging and distribution of Lilly's GLP-1 medicines. The KEZAD site will strengthen Mubadala Bio's pharmaceutical contract manufacturing, packaging and logistics capabilities for serving global industry partners from the UAE.
Regulatory approvals in the UAE#
The Emirates Drug Establishment approved Foundayo (orforglipron) for chronic weight management in April 2025, making the UAE the second country globally to register the medicine. The treatment was introduced for eligible patients under the Personalised Weight Management Program, launched by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre in June 2025. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) received approval in the UAE in August 2022, shortly after the US FDA authorised the medicine.
Mubadala Bio pharmaceutical capabilities#
Mubadala Bio operates as an Abu Dhabi-headquartered life sciences company with capabilities across biopharma and pharmaceutical logistics. The company has investments and partnerships in contract manufacturing and pharmaceutical logistics operations. The collaboration with Lilly adds pharmaceutical packaging and warehousing to Mubadala Bio's existing contract manufacturing capabilities. The partnership combines Lilly's capabilities in discovering, developing and delivering medicines with Mubadala Bio's integrated life sciences platform and international footprint.
Sources2 sources across 2 domains
- cbnme.comcbnme.comPartnership announcement, facility specifications, regulatory approvals and witness details
- logisticsmiddleeast.comlogisticsmiddleeast.comLocalised packaging and distribution activities for GLP-1 medicines at KEZAD
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