A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore
A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore
A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore
A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore

Abu Dhabi’s IHC invests $51m in UK’s Oxford Nanopore Technologies


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company invested £39 million ($51m) in Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a UK based firm that specialises in DNA sequencing technology.

The latest investment is part of Oxford Nanopore’s £84.4m equity raising exercise and will help the company boost its Covid-19 testing capability, IHC said in a statement on Tuesday.

“IHC has a strong track record in the healthcare device sector in the Middle East and we are very pleased to be expanding our interests globally,” Syed Basar Shueb, chief executive and managing director of IHC, said. “Oxford Nanopore has developed distinctive and proven technology and has been highly effective in taking products from innovation to market within tight timeframes.”

IHC, which is listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, is active in a number of sectors including real estate, manufacturing and financial services. The company recently entered into a partnership with Dal Group to develop and cultivate 100,000 acres of farmland in Sudan, with a total investment of $225m.

In the first half of 2020, IHC posted a net profit of Dh814m on revenues of Dh2.5 billion.

Oxford Nanopore, on the other hand, has developed and commercialised a new generation of DNA or RNA sequencing technology that is helping researchers explore human genetics, cancer, infectious pathogens, plant and animal genomics and environmental science. The company is currently raising money to scale up its new Covid-19 test, LamPORE.

”We are delighted to welcome IHC as an investor in Oxford Nanopore,” said Gordon Sanghera, chief executive of Oxford Nanopore. “Our international shareholder base reflects the international ambitions of Oxford Nanopore, as our technology is now used to answer important biological questions in more than 100 countries.”

A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber

Forced%20Deportations
%3Cp%3EWhile%20the%20Lebanese%20government%20has%20deported%20a%20number%20of%20refugees%20back%20to%20Syria%20since%202011%2C%20the%20latest%20round%20is%20the%20first%20en-mass%20campaign%20of%20its%20kind%2C%20say%20the%20Access%20Center%20for%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20non-governmental%20organization%20which%20monitors%20the%20conditions%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20in%20Lebanon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20past%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20General%20Security%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20forced%20deportation%20operations%20of%20refugees%2C%20after%20forcing%20them%20to%20sign%20papers%20stating%20that%20they%20wished%20to%20return%20to%20Syria%20of%20their%20own%20free%20will.%20Now%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20army%2C%20specifically%20military%20intelligence%2C%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20security%20operation%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mohammad%20Hasan%2C%20head%20of%20ACHR.%3Cbr%3EIn%20just%20the%20first%20four%20months%20of%202023%20the%20number%20of%20forced%20deportations%20is%20nearly%20double%20that%20of%20the%20entirety%20of%202022.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESince%20the%20beginning%20of%202023%2C%20ACHR%20has%20reported%20407%20forced%20deportations%20%E2%80%93%20200%20of%20which%20occurred%20in%20April%20alone.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20comparison%2C%20just%20154%20people%20were%20forcfully%20deported%20in%202022.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Violence%20
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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

How being social media savvy can improve your well being

Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.

As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.

Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.

Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.

Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.

However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.

“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.

People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.