Combating coronavirus: Abu Dhabi, Israeli tech firms join hands to fight Covid-19

Leading Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42 (G42) announced on Thursday that it had signed Memoranda of Understanding with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), two leading Israeli technology companies, to research effective solutions to combat SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease.
Executives from each company took part in a signing ceremony held via video conference between the UAE and Israel.
They discussed how they might capitalise on their respective expertise and technologies to develop cutting-edge solutions and medical initiatives that would benefit not only the populations of both countries, but also humanity as a whole.
The CEO of Group 42 said: "At G42, we embrace international cooperation as a way to develop new and innovative technological solutions for the public good. The UAE has led by example in the global collaborative effort to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic and our company is privileged to follow the lead and share resources and expertise with Rafael and IAI for such a significant cause."
This joint initiative brings together some of the most active players in the Covid-19 response in the region. It aims to leverage their combined knowledge, human and technological assets and other resources to accelerate the delivery of breakthrough solutions to safeguard public health and support the global fight against the pandemic.
G42 has been at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19 since the outbreak began. Thanks to its expertise in AI-driven genomics, the company has recently announced the development, in partnership with UK's Oxford Nanopore Technologies, of an end-to-end detection solution with ultra-high throughput to screen en masse and on demand, facilitating the re-opening of global economies.
In the UAE, G42 is trialling the world's first phase III clinical trial of a Covid-19 inactivated vaccine under the supervision of the Department of Health of Abu Dhabi (DoH).