- Insilico Medicine and United Arab Emirates University signed a strategic MoU to advance biotechnology research, AI-driven drug discovery, and the development of local scientific talent in the UAE.
- The partnership includes joint research, academic exchange, hands-on training, internships, and career opportunities, aiming to embed AI-enabled drug development into educational and research programs.
- This builds on Insilico’s growing presence in the UAE, including its Abu Dhabi R&D center and pilot oncology drug project, and supports the country’s goal of establishing a vibrant regional biotech ecosystem.
PRESS RELEASE – Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, and United Arab Emirates University (“UAEU”), a leading public university and premier academic institution in the UAE and the Middle East, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the development of local scientific talents and drive research collaborations within the nation’s rapidly growing biotechnology sector.
The strategic collaboration between Insilico Medicine and UAEU aims to bridge academia and industry through multifaceted collaboration, including joint research projects, academic exchange, and hands-on training for students and faculty. The MoU outlines partnership in several key areas including co-developing and publishing innovative research, delivering expert lectures, organizing educational events such as hackathons and workshops, and providing internships for eligible UAEU students. Additionally, the collaboration opens career opportunities for UAEU graduates at Insilico, fostering local talent and supporting the expansion of the UAE’s biotechnology sector.
“We are thrilled to establish this strategic partnership with a powerhouse like Insilico Medicine. Drug discovery is undergoing a clear paradigm shift – from traditional medicinal chemistry towards the use of large data, bio/cheminformatics, and AI-enabled strategies. This collaboration offers a unique opportunity to embed these cutting-edge AI workflows into both research and education programs, building a vital bridge between industry and academia. Overall, this will create a powerful platform for research innovation, hands-on training, and student development, while it helps shape a new generation of medicinal chemists emerging from the UAE” said Yasir Raouf, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, United Arab Emirates University.
“We at UAEU are very enthusiastic about this promising collaboration with Insilico Medicine. This will be an excellent opportunity for our scientists in the field to collaborate on edge-cutting research projects with significant translational potential, as well as an excellent opportunity for our students to gain valuable expertise through the internship program at Insilico” said Maamar Benkraouda, PhD, Dean of the College of Science and Professor of Physics, United Arab Emirates University.
“We are excited to join hands with UAEU to nurture the next generation of scientists and innovators. By integrating AI and biotechnology research with academic excellence, we aim to accelerate scientific discovery and foster a vibrant biotech ecosystem in the UAE.” said Alex Aliper, PhD, President of Insilico Medicine and Head of Insilico UAE company.
Recently, Insilico announced a pilot project in the UAE aimed at discovering the first novel drug candidate for oncology therapeutics, with the entire process—from target identification to preclinical nomination—conducted locally. This initiative will fully leverage Insilico’s proprietary Pharma.AI platform alongside local biopharmaceutical resources to significantly shorten the preclinical drug development cycle and lay the foundation for the localized development of life-saving therapeutics. Insilico intends to advance this project rapidly and establish it as a model for replication throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Since establishing its generative AI and drug R&D center in Abu Dhabi in February 2023, Insilico has actively pursued industry collaborations and advanced AI algorithm development. In August 2024, Insilico published a paper in npj Aging and launched the AI-driven multimodal Precious GPT series, designed for anti-aging and longevity research. In January 2025, in partnership with the University of Toronto and other collaborators, Insilico published a study in Nature Biotechnology detailing the design of KRAS inhibitors using quantum-classical hybrid models. The company was also recognized with the Health Innovation Trailblazer Award from the UAE Genetic Diseases Society for its end-to-end drug discovery platform, Pharma.AI, and its diverse drug pipelines.
