ABU DHABI // The Netherlands is planning to set up medical centres across the UAE to assist in diabetes research, according to a Dutch official.
Maarten Camps, economic affairs vice minister, visited the Emirates to discuss further work with the country in health care, renewable energy, aviation and water.
“We see that the UAE is in transition from purely being active in the energy sector to other sectors,” he said. “It is coping with questions from health change to renewable energy and aviation and these are all areas in which Dutch companies and research institutions have expertise and would like to cooperate with the UAE.”
The Netherlands model, he said, supported cooperation among the government, research institutes and the private sector. Representatives from those sectors were in the UAE to present their work.
He cited diabetes as an important health issue for the UAE.
“The rate is much lower in Holland but we have a research programme at Leiden University Medical Centre, which is one of the top medical institutes in the world, on diabetes and they want to step up this programme. There is an interest for the UAE Government to find solutions for the growing diabetes problem in the country.”
An agreement was signed for a joint research programme, with several medical centres to be set up in the Emirates.
“We want to have a new, effective approach to hopefully improve the treatment of diabetes,” Mr Camps said. “The research will be done in Leiden most probably, and we might have staff come here.”
The countries also embarked on energy research cooperation. “We had a workshop to find solutions for the energy questions we have,” Mr Camps said. “It’s mainly in research at this stage but we have large wind farms being built offshore in The Netherlands and we’d be pleased to see investors from the UAE join us to build them.”
Jennes de Mol, the Dutch ambassador to the UAE, said the food-energy-water connection was vital for the region.
“We know about water since we live below the sea level and we have been fighting water since our very existence. We are a gas producer and we are the second-biggest exporter of agricultural products in the world, so we have a lot of experience in this nexus, which is crucial for the UAE, and we’d like to share it as well.”
The Dutch aviation industry will also contribute to the UAE’s Strata site for repair, maintenance, construction and manufacturing of aircraft.
“Our expertise in composites is very good so we can help set up that part of the industry here,” Mr Camps said. “We have a strong and innovative aviation industry with manufacturing, and Schiphol airport as an important hub.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
