Golden List Of Pharmaceutical Companies In Abu Dhabi Accelerates Trade And Compliance

Abu Dhabi Customs and the Emirates Drug Establishment have launched the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies, a programme that links trade facilitation with strict regulatory oversight. The initiative targets faster movement of medicines through Abu Dhabi’s border ports while protecting public health and aligning with international customs and pharmaceutical standards.

The Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies supports the We the UAE 2031 vision by combining supply chain resilience with health innovation and sustainability goals. It seeks to ease legitimate trade for compliant pharmaceutical companies, reduce operational delays at ports, and maintain strong controls on products entering or leaving the UAE market.

In its first implementation phase, the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies includes 31 pharmaceutical companies that meet defined compliance benchmarks. These companies receive simplified customs procedures, including automatic accreditation of shipments by registration authorities, alongside faster cargo release and customs clearance within what authorities describe as an invisible customs ecosystem.

The initiative positions Abu Dhabi as a central logistics and manufacturing hub for medicines within the UAE and wider region. Authorities note that Abu Dhabi currently accounts for about 27 per cent of national pharmaceutical production, and the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies is expected to support this share by improving the flow of raw materials and finished products.

Officials describe the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies as part of broader work to strengthen national health security and ensure continuity of medicine supplies during normal operations and emergencies. By prioritising trusted pharmaceutical companies, the system is designed to minimise bottlenecks while ensuring that regulatory and safety checks remain in place and effective.

Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Customs, said the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies demonstrates how cooperation between local and federal bodies and the private sector can support the UAE’s competitiveness. Al Mansoori explained that the initiative improves regulatory efficiency, aligns with international practices, and shows growing trust through flexible customs pathways that still protect safety and compliance.

Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies participation criteria and oversight

Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Director-General of the Emirates Drug Establishment, highlighted that close coordination with Abu Dhabi Customs underpins the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies. Al Kaabi said the model links regulatory and oversight agencies, strengthens pharmaceutical security, supports uninterrupted supply chains, and encourages investment in high value-added pharmaceutical manufacturing within the UAE.

Pharmaceutical companies can only join the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies if they satisfy strict admission conditions. These include a clear customs compliance history with no significant violations, robust internal control and risk management systems, technical readiness with relevant registration bodies, and full adherence to the Emirates Drug Establishment’s regulatory frameworks and quality requirements.

Authorities expect the Golden List of Pharmaceutical Companies to streamline compliant companies’ operations, improve transparency across the supply chain, and enhance the UAE’s standing as a regional centre for pharmaceutical manufacturing and trade, while maintaining strong safeguards that support long-term public health and sustainable economic development objectives.

With inputs from WAM