RAS Al-KHAIMAH, UAE, 19 April — The Gulf further strengthened its position on the world map of drug manufacturers, with the opening of one of the most modern pharmaceutical plants here last week.
The Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries' sixth state-of-the-art Julphar plant, one of the largest pharmaceutical soft product manufacturing facilities for syrup, suspension and oral drops, was opened by Saqr ibn Mohammed Al-Qasimi, a member of the United Arab Emirates Supreme Council and ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah.
Ras Al-Khaimah's Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler Khalid ibn Saqr Al-Qasimi, Deputy Ruler Sultan ibn Saqr Al-Qasimi, members of the UAE's ruling families, and ministers or their representatives from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar Sudan and Ecuador attended the inauguration. Also present in large numbers were official delegations representing international and Arab health organizations, and drug makers and suppliers.
Headquartered in the UAE, Julphar is now a leading multinational pharmaceutical company with sales across 40 countries in four continents, said Saqr in his address read by Saud ibn Saqr Al-Qasimi, chief of the Emiri court.
He described the new plant as the most advanced in the world in terms of technology, design and production. Saud, who is also the chairman of the board of directors of Julphar, said the pharmaceutical group comprised six main manufacturing plants, four of them located in the UAE, and one each in South America (Ecuador) and in Europe (Germany), plus several wholly owned affiliates providing support services to the company. T
Media representatives from Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East-Gulf region had a first hand account of Julphar's sixth plant on the occasion of its inauguration. "The plant's production capacity exceeds 93 million bottles of cough syrup annually in a single shift operation," Julphar Managing Director Abdul Razzaq Yousuf said. "We produce over 35,000 bottles per hour, or 280,000 bottles per day," he added.
As claimed by the company, the plant is designed, built, tested and commissioned to latest international guidelines. Its fully computerized and validated system is monitored and managed by highly qualified personnel.
UAE Minister of Health Abdul Rahman Al-Midfa said Julphar could now rub shoulders in terms of quality products with giant international pharmaceutical companies.
"Julphar applies the US FDA's current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) in its strict compliance with procedures and dosage forms," according to Faisal ibn Saqr Al-Qasimi, vice chairman of the company.
