ABU DHABI, A ground-breaking ceremony took place Wednesday in Belgrade in the presence of UAE, Serbian and Chinese dignitaries, signaling the commencement of the construction of the new local vaccine manufacturing plant in the country.

The ceremony follows the signing of a strategic MoU between Group42, Sinopharm CNBG and the Republic of Serbia in July 2021 to collaborate on vaccine production to serve Serbian people and the wider region.

The JV between Group42 and Sinopharm CNBG, Hayat Biotech, a company born in the UAE to develop the life sciences ecosystem by advancing clinical research, medical R&D and develop new drugs and vaccines, already manufacturing Hayat-Vax in the UAE, came together with the Republic of Serbia to set up this manufacturing plant.

The ground-breaking ceremony in Belgrade, was attended by Serbian President Aleksander Vucic, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and Managing Director of Mubadala and Board Member of Group42, Peng Xiao, CEO, Group42, Yang Huichuan, Vice President, Sinopharm CNBG among other high-level delegates.

The facility will have an annual capacity of 36 million doses to protect people from the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the ground-breaking ceremony, President Vucic said, “Serbia will have one of the most modern vaccine factories. I am proud that we have tried to solve some of the regional and world problems together with our Chinese and Emirati partners.”

Khaldoon Al Mubarak CEO and Managing Director of Mubadala and Board Member of Group42, commented “Today’s ceremony shows what can be achieved when we build global partnerships and investment relationships around shared challenges and opportunities.”

Peng Xiao, Group CEO, Group42 said, “This new alliance will foster knowledge and capabilities sharing, and enable all of us to further strengthen our expertise in the healthcare domain, with the prospect of future-proofing the health of our nations.”

Source: Emirates News Agency