Abu Dhabi-based G42 joins Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael to combat Covid-19

Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42 (G42), has signed an MoU with Israeli defence technology company, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Rafael, and the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to explore collaborations in the research and development of solutions to combat SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, UAE’s official news agency WAM reported.

“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,” said Peng Xiao, CEO of G42.

They will jointly leverage their combined knowledge, human and technological assets, to accelerate the delivery of solutions to combat the pandemic.

Executives from the respective companies took part in a signing ceremony held via video conference between the UAE and Israel during which they discussed their respective expertise and technologies that could help push forward the development of relevant solutions and medical initiatives.

In June, G42 and Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm China National Biotec Group (CNBG) signed a clinical cooperation agreement to launch the world’s first phase III clinical trials of a Covid-19 inactivated vaccine that will be supervised by the UAE’s Department of Health (DoH) Abu Dhabi.

Read: UAE begins world’s first phase III clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine

In April, it was revealed that G42 and genomics company BGI, collaborated to set up a massive-throughput laboratory in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City that can conduct tens of thousands of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests per day and was the first facility of this scale built outside of China.

Read also: Watch: How Abu Dhabi built a high-volume Covid-19 testing lab in 14 days

At the time of its launch, officials said the new lab will prioritise testing of cases within the UAE, but could scale up to receive samples from neighbouring countries too.

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