ABU DHABI, 21st October, 2026 (WAM) — The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, MSD (known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada), DSV and RAFED today announced a strategic collaboration to establish a regional healthcare logistics hub in the Emirate. Expected to commence operations in January 2027, the facility will support the re-export, storage and distribution of medicines and vaccines from MSD’s portfolio to the UAE and more than ten export markets across the Middle East and Africa.
The collaboration was announced during the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, where the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of DoH, and Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH. The MoU was signed by Sergey Zverev, MSD Regional President EEMEA, Fred Brut, MSD Head of International Supply Chain, Mohammad Mustafa Saeed, CEO of RAFED and Houssam Mahmoud, CEO of DSV.
The initiative is designed to strengthen healthcare supply chain resilience, enhance the distribution of medicines and vaccines and support more efficient access to critical healthcare products across the UAE and multiple markets throughout the Middle East and Africa. Located within Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), the hub will leverage Abu Dhabi’s advanced logistics infrastructure, strategic geographic location and supportive regulatory environment.
Through the collaboration, MSD will use the facility as a key regional logistics center for medicines and vaccines from its portfolio, serving the UAE and more than ten export markets. The hub will be equipped with advanced capabilities and will progressively expand in breadth and depth through 2027.
DSV will leverage its global, regional and local logistics expertise to operate the hub in line with MSD’s logistics, safety and quality standards. RAFED, the UAE’s first healthcare Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) and a PureHealth asset, integrates procurement, logistics and warehousing to support a resilient national supply chain. Under this collaboration, RAFED will provide state-of-the-art warehousing facilities and advanced infrastructure to support reliable, secure and efficient regional distribution.
The initiative aligns with Abu Dhabi’s broader vision to strengthen health system preparedness, enhance healthcare supply continuity, encourage private sector investment and advance the Emirate’s position as a global destination for healthcare, innovation and life sciences.
Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), said: “Ensuring reliable access to medicines and vaccines is fundamental to continuity of care and a resilient healthcare system. Abu Dhabi brings together a connected healthcare system, an enabling regulatory environment and the capabilities of global industry partners to develop the infrastructure that supports advanced access to healthcare and innovation.
This collaboration reflects our efforts to strengthen the connections between life sciences investment and healthcare delivery. Working with MSD, DSV and RAFED, our ambition is to build specialised logistics capabilities that reinforcemedicine and vaccine supply resilience,secure continuity of supply and enhance accessfor patients across Abu Dhabi and the wider region.”
Ashraf Mallak, Managing Director, MSD Gulf Countries, Libya and Egypt, said: “This collaboration complements the region’s already-advanced healthcare supply infrastructure. Through this initiative, we aim to enhance the resilience and efficiency of our distribution network and support more reliable access to our medicines and vaccines across the UAE and multiple markets in the region.”
Houssam Mahmoud, Managing Director, Contract Logistics and CEO Abu Dhabi, DSV, said: “This collaboration brings together DSV’s global, regional and local logistics expertise to support a reliable and resilient healthcare supply chain. By operating the hub in line with MSD’s logistics, safety and quality standards, we will help enable the secure and efficient distribution of medicines and vaccines from Abu Dhabi to the UAE and markets across the Middle East and Africa.”
Mohammad Mustafa Saeed, CEO of RAFED, said: “This collaboration reflects RAFED’s commitment to strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional hub for healthcare logistics and supply chain excellence. By providing advanced warehousing infrastructure and enabling reliable, secure and efficient distribution, we will help improve access to essential medicines and vaccines across the UAE and wider region, while supporting a more resilient and future-ready healthcare ecosystem.”
The collaboration reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to translating strategic life sciences partnerships into infrastructure that supports healthcare delivery. By connecting global industry expertise with specialised logistics capabilities, the initiative aims to strengthen regional distribution networks, enhance medicines supply continuity and contribute to a more resilient healthcare systemacross the UAE and the wider region.
Source: Emirates News Agency