The UK and Qatar have announced plans for closer ties that will seize the enormous potential of genomics to overhaul healthcare, as well as for work focusing on AI’s scope to drive economic growth and make public services efficient.

 

As part of a wide-ranging series of announcements being made announced as part of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s State Visit to the UK, the two countries have unveiled plans to set up a shared Genomics Medicine Academy, and a joint commission on AI research.

 

These sit alongside a deal to forge closer ties on science and technology. The UK-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, launched in 2022, is being upgraded to encompass science, innovation and technology: a reflection of both countries’ big ambitions when it comes to unleashing the potential of science and tech to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing us all – from delivering economic growth to improving public health.

 

Joint work in science and tech

In a first for the UK and a Gulf nation, officials from the UK and Qatar will meet annually to drive forward joint work in science and tech, initially focusing on issues such as AI and the digital transformation of government.

 

AI will also be the focus of a joint research commission, being launched by London’s Queen Mary University and the Alan Turing Institute together with Doha’s Hamad bin Khalifa University. The commission will work towards setting out a roadmap for UK-Qatar cooperation on AI, and seizing this technology’s remarkable potential to improve people’s lives.

 

The new Qatar-UK Genomics Medicine Academy will build on existing research ties between the two countries, with a view to delivering new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of a host of debilitating diseases.

 

UK Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “The partnership we are strengthening today is a huge step forward for the UK and Qatar. In a first for the UK and a Gulf nation, officials from both countries will meet annually to drive forward joint work in science and tech.

 

New insights

“On the technology side this work will initially focus on AI and the digital transformation of government. While the new Qatar-UK Genomics Medicine Academy will build on existing research ties, with a view to delivering new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of a host of debilitating diseases.

 

“We know that working together in both these fields will reap significant rewards and that is why we look forward to the UK strengthening its relationship with Qatar to unlock the economic, health, and quality of life gains these innovations stand to offer us.”

 

Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said: “From harnessing the power of AI to bolstering our understanding of DNA, these breakthroughs have the potential to transform how we diagnose and treat patients.

 

“International collaboration with leading tech partners will help us become a life sciences and medical technology superpower.

 

"As part of our 10 Year Health Plan, we will shift the health service from analogue to digital, using cutting-edge technology to put patients first."--TradeArabia News Service