UAE Mohamed ElShaarawy, General Manager for the United Arab Emirates at Roche Pharmaceuticals, reflects on the organisation’s role as a long-term healthcare partner aligned with the country’s ambition to build a resilient, data-driven health system. From important local MoUs as well as ongoing collaboration with government stakeholders, ElShaarawy discusses how regulatory…
Lebanon Dr Ali Taher, MD, PhD, FRCP, has spent more than three decades shaping the understanding and treatment of thalassemia. As Associate VP for Academic Centers at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and Director of the Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute, he has integrated high-level research with clinical excellence. Trained…
Saudi Arabia Dr Abdulrazaq S. Al-Jazairi, Director of Clinical Trial Transformation at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, has spent more than 30 years at the institution. Trained as a cardiology clinical pharmacist, with a doctorate from North Carolina, general residency at Duke University, and cardiovascular pharmacotherapy at Philadelphia College of…
MEA Majid Jafar, Co-Founder of the Loulou Foundation, discusses the strategic evolution of the patient research organisation that he co-founded with his wife following their daughter Alia’s diagnosis with CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD). By moving beyond traditional advocacy into “philanthropharma”, Jafar has spearheaded the development of a global translational toolkit, contributing…
MEA A shift is underway in how rare diseases are identified and managed across the Middle East and North Africa, as stronger diagnostic capabilities, evolving access frameworks, and growing local expertise begin to redefine the region’s role. Within this context, Zeina Sfeir Lahoud, Regional Head, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey*…
MEA Mohamed Abu Shawish of Kyowa Kirin discusses how the company is reducing the time to diagnosis for rare diseases, increasing patient identification, and building local capacity across the GCC. He highlights the steps taken to disease awareness, genetic testing pathways, family mapping approaches and supporting access to rare disease medications.…
MEA Khaled Elrefae of Recordati Rare Diseases discusses how the company is expanding its rare disease footprint across Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and the wider MENA region. He highlights the region’s high unmet medical needs, the strategic steps taken to accelerate product launches, and the role of partnerships, diagnostics, and genomics…
UAE Healthcare systems across the world continue to struggle with fragmentation, rising costs and reactive models of care that intervene too late. Dimitris Moulavasilis, Group CEO of M42, outlines how an integrated platform spanning care delivery, genomics, digital infrastructure and policy seeks to realign incentives, embed intelligence at scale and reposition…
MEA For decades, the Middle East has faced a disproportionately high burden of rare genetic disorders, fuelled both by deep-rooted cultural practices and an overreliance on Western genomic data. Fast forward to 2026, and massive genome projects across the Gulf region are attempting to shift the narrative. Backed by immense sovereign…
MEA Dr Said Ismail, geneticist and professor of genomics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, reflects on his role as the founding director and one of the architects of the Qatar Genome Programme (QGP), one of the Middle East’s most established and globally recognised population‑level genomics initiatives. He describes the pivotal decisions…
UAE Global advances in rare blood disorders increasingly hinge on where evidence is generated, how patients are followed, and whether innovation reaches beyond a limited few. Khaled Musallam describes how clinical reality at Burjeel informs international research, trial design, and guideline development, while pressing for models that balance scientific ambition with…
MEA CTI EMEA Managing Director Alaa Assem is a physician, ophthalmologist and MBA holder with over 30 years of experience in pharma and clinical research organisations. Since joining CTI, he has strengthened the company’s presence in the Middle East, focusing on rare disease, gene and cell therapy, oncology, and transplantation. CTI…
See our Cookie Privacy Policy Here
