ABU DHABI, 20 August 2006 — Sheikh Suroor ibn Mohammed Al-Nahayan opened a new diabetes center here last week. The Imperial College London Diabetes Center (ICLDC), described as the UAE’s largest multidisciplinary diabetes facility, will be dedicated to prevention, treatment, training and research covering all aspects of diabetes and its complications.
More than a quarter of UAE nationals are estimated to suffer from diabetes. The center aims to work to manage and eventually reverse this alarming trend.
The UAE ranks second in the world for diabetes prevalence.
“Statistics show that each of us in the UAE is likely to have a close relative or friend living with diabetes,” said Khaldoon Khalifa Al-Mubarak, managing director and CEO of Mubadala Development and ICLDC chairman.
“The opening of the ICLDC is a first and significant step in reversing the impact of diabetes in the UAE. It is also another step in the realization of the vision of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan to offer the Emirate the latest health care facilities in the world.”
The ICLDC is wholly owned by Mubadala Development and was created as a result of a strategic partnership between Mubadala Development and ICL, a global university with the largest medical school in western Europe.
Speaking on behalf of ICL, Pro Rector Tidu Maini said: “Working together with Mubadala, we are proud that ICLDC bears the name of Imperial College London and will uphold our tradition of pioneering excellence in teaching and research, while setting a new benchmark for the treatment and prevention of diabetes across the GCC.”
The ICLDC building, based on the geometrical structure of an insulin molecule, is a premier treatment center, which hosts an extensive team of specialized staff and is dedicated to meeting patient needs efficiently on every level. The world-class research facility at the center and headed by renowned ICL researchers, aims to find mechanisms to slow down and reverse the prevalence of diabetes and allows ICLDC doctors to remain updated with the latest evidence-based treatments and developments.
