Abu Dhabi’s Group 42 becomes first UAE company to announce international office in Israel

Abu Dhabi-based tech company Group 42 (G42) is establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary in Israel, it was announced on Thursday.

The move will mark the first time a UAE company establishes an international office in Israel, and comes after the two countries signed a historic diplomatic deal last month.

Read: UAE, Israel agree on historic deal to establish diplomatic ties

Operations in G42’s new office will be led by a team of experts from both countries and will focus on healthcare and Covid-19 diagnostic solutions, advanced AI research, agritech and water supply solutions, smart cities and renewable energies, a statement said.

The wholly-owned subsidiary will facilitate G42’s access to Israeli talent pool, advanced technologies and resources. Israel currently has over than 6,000 high-tech companies and startups.

The new international office will also serve as a “gateway for Israeli companies seeking to expand their operations in the UAE and the Middle East”, the statement added.

Peng Xiao, CEO of G42, said: “The establishment of the new Israeli office will strengthen G42’s presence in the region and give us access to one of the most vibrant and mature tech ecosystems in the world.”

It will also enable the company to “engage with international partners to harness best ideas and capabilities and solve problems”, he added.

Also read: UAE, Israeli companies agree to jointly combat Covid-19 and develop testing device

On August 19, G42 announced a partnership with Nanoscent, an Israeli startup specialised in scent reading technologies, to collaborate on the development, validation, distribution and manufacturing of Scent Check, a revolutionary solution capable of detecting suspected cases of Covid-19 from a sample of exhaled nasal air.

G42, which has established a throughput testing laboratory in Abu Dhabi in 14 days, is currently leading the world’s first Phase III clinical trials for the Covid-19 inactivated vaccine.

The initiative, launched under the brand 4Humanity, has already seen the participation of more than 15,000 volunteers in the UAE and has recently expanded to Bahrain and Jordan, with other international locations to be announced soon.