Official opening for National Reference Laboratory's regional hub in Abu Dhabi

The establishment of this new laboratory follows the 2010 opening of NRL's inaugural facility in Dubai. It will serve as NRL's regional hub and has the capacity to expand to 60,000 square feet.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mubadala Development Company Chief Financial Officer, Carlos Obeid; Executive Director of Mubadala Healthcare and Chairman of National Reference Laboratory, Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LabCorp, David King; and NRL General Manager, Kristian Marthinsen, in addition to representatives from the local healthcare industry.

NRL was created in partnership with and is operated by Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp), one of the world's largest and most renowned clinical reference laboratory networks.

Its goal is to help improve the breadth, coverage and efficiency of laboratory testing in the UAE. Together with the significant resources of the LabCorp network, NRL offers a comprehensive menu of more than 4,000 tests.

As a result, NRL aims to offer healthcare providers in the region a one-stop solution for all of their clinical testing needs, creating an efficient and high-quality service that is closer to home, reducing both turnaround times and logistical costs compared with laboratories abroad.

Medical diagnostic testing serves a critical back-end function in the healthcare value chain, with healthcare providers significantly benefiting from test results to make informed diagnostic and treatment decisions. It has been estimated that 70% of all medical decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment are based on lab results.

To improve the current level of decision making, NRL is committed to raising quality standards in the industry by implementing international best practice procedures and quality control measures in each phase of service delivery.

"In order to develop a comprehensive, world-class healthcare offering in the UAE, we must provide home-grown solutions on a par with the highest international standards, while at the same time developing a strong knowledge base of healthcare issues that are unique to the Gulf and MENA region. NRL is well positioned to support this important goal," said Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari, Executive Director of Mubadala Healthcare.

"Our success to date and this latest milestone is testament to the strength of our partnership with LabCorp, which has brought world-class technology and expertise to the region, leading to better diagnostic support for clinicians, and ultimately a more cost-efficient service."

The arrival of the Abu Dhabi lab marks an important expansion of NRL's business, improving in-house testing capabilities to better meet the growing demands of the regional healthcare industry. Through this world-class offering, NRL is able to provide healthcare practitioners with reliable and efficient diagnostic testing results, to help them make sound decisions for their patients.

NRL has invested in state-of-the-art technology to manage quality of specimens and testing results, including temperature-controlled transportation vehicles and the most advanced laboratory testing equipment. The newly opened Abu Dhabi lab has an innovative and flexible design that can facilitate future expansion seamlessly.

The new lab expands on the success of NRL's first facility, opened at the Nucleotide Complex of Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (Dubiotech). Through this first facility, NRL has established a strong presence in the local market with a growing list of clients from across the UAE.

NRL's Dubai lab is ISO 15189 accredited and is currently undergoing accreditation with College of American Pathologists (CAP) , which is viewed as the international gold standard, and is expected to become CAP accredited in Q1 2012. This will be followed by the same in Abu Dhabi before the end of the year.

NRL works closely with clients to inform and educate healthcare providers on the latest advancements in the field of clinical diagnostic testing, including through its partnerships with close to 100 healthcare providers.

The laboratory offers improved client service through automated and integrated communication interfaces that facilitate immediate transfer of information between the laboratory and healthcare provider.

Combined with the world-class expertise of LabCorp, this client service approach positions NRL as a differentiated service provider in the diagnostic testing field - a best-practice facility that provides more results, of better quality, at a quicker pace.

"LabCorp is proud to extend its best-in-class diagnostic testing expertise to the UAE, where there is great demand for more advanced infrastructure and capabilities in this field," said David King, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LabCorp.

"As a pioneer in genomic testing and the commercialization of new diagnostic technologies, we remain committed to partnering with NRL and Mubadala Healthcare to raise the bar on diagnostic testing infrastructure and practices in the UAE and wider region."