Mubadala Bio and Marcyrl partner to localise UAE health portfolio
Mubadala Bio has signed a strategic partnership with Marcyrl Pharmaceutical Industries to localise a portfolio of women's health, fertility and respiratory products in the UAE. The agreement was signed at the Future Health Summit in Abu Dhabi on 21 October 2026 by Dr Essam Mohamed, Group Chief Executive of Mubadala Bio, and Dr George Saad, Chief Executive of Marcyrl Group.
The partnership covers two broad therapy areas. The women's health and fertility portfolio is intended to support reproductive care across the full lifecycle, from fertility treatment and pregnancy through to childbirth and management of gynaecological and hormonal conditions. The respiratory portfolio spans a range of acute and chronic conditions, with products including metered dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, nebulisation solutions and nasal sprays. Both portfolios will be localised and distributed in the UAE, with additional products expected to be added over time.
The partnership rationale
Dr Essam Mohamed said that localising pharmaceutical products is "central to building a resilient life sciences ecosystem in the UAE" and that women's health is a priority therapy area for Mubadala Bio. Dr George Saad framed the deal as an expansion of access to essential medicines across the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council region, combining Marcyrl's manufacturing expertise with Mubadala Bio's regional distribution platform.
Marcyrl Group, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Cairo, is one of Egypt's largest specialty generics manufacturers, with particular strength in hormonal and respiratory therapies. The company exports across the Middle East and Africa, and received investment from Development Partners International and Amethis in 2023. Mubadala Bio, wholly owned by Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth vehicle Mubadala Investment Company, operates across integrated biopharma and pharma logistics, with a stated footprint covering the UAE, Asia, Africa and Europe.
Market context
The UAE has set pharmaceutical localisation as an explicit national policy priority, with the government seeking to reduce dependence on imported medicines following supply-chain disruptions exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. A growing number of regional and international manufacturers have signed similar in-country localisation agreements in recent years, often anchored by government-linked vehicles such as Mubadala. Women's health and respiratory medicines represent two of the higher-volume segments in Gulf markets, where chronic respiratory conditions tied to air quality and dust exposure carry a significant disease burden.
Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the agreement, the number of products covered at signing, the timeline for bringing localised products to market, or whether the arrangement involves technology transfer, contract manufacturing or a joint venture structure. Those details will be material for assessing how substantive the partnership becomes in practice. Investors and sector observers will watch for a named product list and a first localised-product launch date as the next meaningful milestones.