LIFEPharma, a fully owned unit of Abu Dhabi-based VPS Healthcare, will invest AED700 million ($191 million) to build a pharmaceutical manufacturing platform at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad).
The memorandum of understanding was signed with AD Ports on the opening day of Make it in the Emirates 2026.
As the UAE’s only US Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmaceutical manufacturer, LIFEPharma will spearhead the platform, providing technical, regulatory, and commercial expertise, according to a statement.
AD Ports will support the project by enabling access to land, infrastructure, utilities, and government coordination.
This collaboration aligns with the UAE’s Operation 300bn, launched in 2021 to reduce oil dependency by strengthening manufacturing, exports, and advanced industries, while raising the sector’s GDP contribution from AED133 billion to AED300 billion by 2031.
The Kezad platform will boost local production across three key segments: AED300 million for vaccine fill-and-finish facilities, AED200 million for oncology treatments, and AED200 million for peptides, biologics, and critical injectables.
Overall, the initiative is projected to contribute AED2 billion to GDP over time and generate more than 1,000 jobs.
VPS Healthcare, founded by Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, is an investment holding firm with key assets including Burjeel Holdings, Response Plus Medical, and Ziva, a UAE-based hygiene and consumer health company.
Operating across the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and India, the group employs over 18,000 people.
In April 2025, Abu Dhabi introduced the Helm cluster—focused on health, endurance, longevity, and medicine—uniting global players in preventive care, drug effectiveness, and longevity research.
The government estimates the cluster will add over AED94 billion to GDP within 20 years and create 30,000 jobs by 2045.
