FlyPharma Conference Middle East: New dates and location announced

FlyPharma Conferences are pleased to announce an exciting new addition to its event portfolio: FlyPharma Middle East.

Taking place in Abu Dhabi from 20-22 March, FlyPharma Middle East will bring together a global audience of (bio)pharma logistics professionals to discuss the latest supply chain challenges and propose new industry collaborations.

The new event will be supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and Etihad Cargo.

The UAE has a rapidly growing domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, with Big Pharma and smaller (bio)pharma and biotech companies alike looking to the region’s strategic position between Europe, Asia and Africa to establish a strong industry presence.

Alongside this, an efficient and innovative logistics infrastructure offers excellent cargo transport in and out of the region. The UAE’s national airline, Etihad Cargo, offers specially designed, temperature-controlled equipment, shipping pharmaceuticals in the quickest possible time and adhering to the highest compliance guidelines.

Abu Dhabi was chosen as the latest location for FlyPharma because of its reputation as a dynamic business destination, built on its strategic regional location, fast-growing knowledge economy and innovative healthcare ecosystem. Even more importantly, the HOPE Consortium – a complete supply chain solution, developed by Abu Dhabi to facilitate availability of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide, demonstrated the Emirate’s commitment to the global battle against the pandemic.

Combining its unique logistical capabilities and geographical proximity to around 4.5 billion people worldwide, Abu Dhabi has led one of the largest and most integrated pharma logistics efforts of its type which has successfully delivered over 260 million vaccine doses to the global community. The Emirate’s focus on pharma logistics and commitment to driving change makes the region the perfect location to host the next FlyPharma conference.

Tailored to an audience of forward-thinking pharma and cargo decision-makers, the event will deliver a platform for dynamic and lively dialogue between speakers and delegates, and will consider themes such as vaccine distribution challenges, smart supply chains, remote and emergency logistics solutions, sustainability, collaboration opportunities and more. This will be the ninth FlyPharma Conference to take place since its inaugural event in 2015, and the first to take place in the Middle East.

In addition to leveraging Abu Dhabi’s strong MICE tourism infrastructure and capabilities, the organiser of FlyPharma Middle East, Samedan Ltd, has also received additional support from the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB) through the ‘Advantage Abu Dhabi 2.0’ programme.

As part of the DCT Abu Dhabi, ADCEB utilises this enhanced subvention scheme to empower event organisers with an array of support throughout the event planning cycle, including financial assistance and destination-driven value-adds.

Mubarak Al Shamisi, the Director of ADCEB at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “We are proud to collaborate with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi Etihad Cargo, and the HOPE Consortium to geo-clone the prestigious FlyPharma conference for its Middle East debut. To host the gathering of (bio)pharma logistics professionals in Abu Dhabi for the first-ever FlyPharma Middle East is a remarkable milestone in our ever-expanding business events calendar.

“Conferences such as FlyPharma are not only a testament to Abu Dhabi as a highly competitive destination for strategic business events, but they also highlight the growing knowledge ecosystem of the emirate. We look forward to welcoming delegates next year and invite them to explore the destination at their own pace and discover the diverse range of exciting, inspiring and restoring experiences found in Abu Dhabi.”

Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “As a founding member of the HOPE Consortium, Etihad Cargo is proud to participate at the inaugural FlyPharma Middle East conference. In full alignment with Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming a global hub for pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Etihad Cargo has expanded its International Air Transport Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma certified PharmaLife product, which has enabled the carrier to triple pharmaceutical volumes shipped in less than two years.”

He added: “FlyPharma Middle East provides the perfect platform for Etihad Cargo to share insights into its multi-phased pharmaceutical cargo infrastructure development strategy, including the launch of Pharma Corridor 2.0 between Abu Dhabi and Brussels in partnership with the HOPE Consortium, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), Brussels Airport Company and Pharma.Aero, and the expansion of the carrier’s state-of-the-art pharma facility, which is the latest step in Etihad Cargo’s continued commitment to developing a Cool Chain Centre of Excellence at its UAE hub.”

FlyPharma Middle East’s Conference Director, Angela Heath, commented: “It is always exciting to launch a new conference, but I am particularly looking forward to presenting FlyPharma Middle East to new and regular delegates. The opportunity to facilitate meaningful conversations between pharma and cargo decision-makers, and make a genuine difference to the future of the industry, is key with FlyPharma conferences, and Abu Dhabi offers an ideal location to bring a global representation of multiple supply chain stakeholders into one room.”

She concluded: “I am looking forward to collaborating with our new sponsors and partners to build on the success of our recent FlyPharma Conference Europe, held in Leipzig in September 2022, and tap into their experience and ideas to build a very strong event programme.”

This new edition of FlyPharma in Abu Dhabi will expand from two days to three, and is expected to feature an exclusive site tour of Abu Dhabi International Airport, including Etihad Cargo’s dedicated temperature-controlled facilities and two evening networking events, including a gala dinner.

The team at FlyPharma Middle East 2023 are looking forward to welcoming delegates to Abu Dhabi on 20-22 March. Registration will open on Monday 19 December 2022, so to join your industry colleagues and learn, connect and network with the pharma supply chain’s brightest minds, email Simon Caplan at simon@samedanltd.com. Visit www.FlyPharmaMiddleEast.com from 19 December to find out more about the event, or email kayleigh@samedanltd.com with any delegate or agenda enquiries.