Medical Research Garners Additional Support as Al Jalila Foundation Signs Agreement with INDEX Holding

Medical Research Garners Additional Support as Al Jalila Foundation Signs Agreement with INDEX Holding

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 21 July 2014: INDEX Holding signed an agreement of collaboration today with Al Jalila Foundation, a global healthcare philanthropic organisation founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai, to position the UAE at the forefront of medical innovation. INDEX Holding, a diversified conferences, trade, and healthcare business, aims through this agreement to further support the Foundation’s medical research aspirations.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Chairman of INDEX Holding, and Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, with Professor Sehamuddin Galadari, Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Cell Biology and Academic & Research Advisor of Al Jalila Foundation in attendance. As a result of the agreement, INDEX Holding’s subsidiary, INDEX Trading and Investment, will commit to donate a fixed percentage of its sales of JumJum baby products to Al Jalila Foundation’s medical research programmes. While INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions Organisation Est. (ICE), another subsidiary of INDEX Holding, will also contribute to a percentage of exhibitor and delegate registration fees from all of its events.

Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani commented: “We are pleased to enter this long-term partnership between INDEX Holding and Al Jalila Foundation, and honoured to join Majlis Al Ata’a. We look forward to maximising our role in supporting medical research through significant contributions from all the local and international events organised by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions Organisation Est., as well as revenues from INDEX Trading and Investment.”

Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO, Al Jalila Foundation said: “We welcome INDEX Holding aboard our journey to further elevate healthcare and quality of life in the UAE through medical research. Their generous and continuous contribution will support our efforts to ensure sustainable funding to medical research over the long term. We look forward to a strong partnership and to welcoming more responsible corporates to support this capital-intensive mission.”

Following the signing, Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama presented Al Jalila Foundation’s “Key of Hope” to Dr Abdul Salam Al Madani. The “Key of Hope” is a special commemorative key, inspired by the Foundation’s pledge to unlock new advancements for a healthier society.

Medical research has become a priority for the UAE as it continues to move towards a knowledge-based economy and aims to become one of the world’s top nations by 2021. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum further underlined the importance of medical research at the launch of the Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre, which is expected to open in 2016.

Majlis Al Ata’a is the first movement of its kind in the UAE to marshal the goodwill, influence and financial capability of a circle of prominent businessmen, philanthropists and organisations towards medical research as a common national goal. Like-minded visionaries who wish to become a part of this movement can contact Al Jalila Foundation through info@aljalilafoundation.ae or the Foundation’s website www.aljalilafoundation.ae.

His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed also received a token of appreciation from the executive director of the Greater New York Dental Meeting as a congratulation for Dubai on winning the bid of hosting Expo 2020.