United Arab Emirates Provide Support in Fight Against COVID-19;Abu Dhabi-Based Tech Company G42 to Partner with UMC in Increased Testingand Long-Term Study of the Virus

Las Vegas, NV – Today the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force announced both the acquisition of vital testing materials for the State and the launch of a long-term scientific collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE provided the opportunity to participate in an innovative genomic study of the COVID-19 coronavirus using technology created by G42, a leading technology company in Abu Dhabi. This critical COVID-19 testing and research opportunity was made possible through the generous support of the UAE and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in keeping with his commitment to support the international community in fighting the global pandemic.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, commented: “The United Arab Emirates and the United States have a long-standing relationship, forged on mutual support, collaboration and respect. Today, as in the future, we stand by the people of the United States and trust they will overcome the current situation shortly. The UAE will continue to provide its support to the international community and promote stronger relationships between countries with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of the global response to the current crisis.”

“The core mission of the Task Force is to utilize our global relationships for the benefit of Nevadans,” said Jim Murren, chairman of the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force. “My relationship with the UAE dates back more than a decade, and over that time a trust and mutual respect has developed between their leadership and Nevada. The resources from G42 will substantially increase our ability to conduct COVID-19 testing and research to help us mitigate the effects of this virus on our citizens and visitors during the current crisis. It will also enable us to fortify our ability to provide a safe and sustainable economic recovery for all of Nevada in the long run.

I am grateful for the support of Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the scientific professionals at G42.”

With expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, G42 has already been addressing the COVID-19 pandemic utilizing cutting-edge technology to ensure medical supplies reach the areas of greatest need to mitigate the spread of the virus, and to provide access to rapid stereotyping that could accelerate the sharing of vital data between researchers.

“The Leadership of Abu Dhabi and the UAE has committed to offering its support to the international community since the beginning of the pandemic,” said a G42 spokesperson. “We feel privileged to make our expertise and technological capabilities available to medical partners in Nevada. The COVID-19 pandemic has crossed borders and cultures indiscriminately, affecting people’s lives regardless of their race, religion and geography. A widespread testing capability will allow the rapid identification of infected patients and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the whole community. We thank the Task Force for embracing this collaboration with enthusiasm and determination. Their foresight proves, once more, Nevada’s unconditional commitment to respond to this emergency fiercely and to plan for the future protection of its citizens. We look forward to our continued scientific collaboration focused on public healthcare.”

G42 executives state that one of the greatest challenges they have encountered in their studies of the virus has been the slow pace of testing globally. Competition for scarce COVID-19 testing materials and equipment have thwarted the expansion of testing in Nevada and nationwide. The COVID-19 testing materials and equipment being provided by G42 have served as a catalyst in Nevada’s plans to increase its testing capacity both in the short- and long-term.

As a result of the G42 partnership, the Task Force is working with University Medical Center (UMC) to develop Nevada’s first high-volume COVID-19 testing laboratory to support the processing of patient samples from hospitals, doctor’s offices, curb-side-testing locations and other health care providers throughout Nevada.  The Task Force is also working with Renown Regional Medical Center and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory to develop additional high-volume capacity in Northern Nevada. As this new testing capacity develops over the coming weeks, these laboratories will work with a variety of health care providers to help exponentially increase the number of those tested in Nevada.

The national reputation of UMC’s Laboratory Department, together with its willingness and ability to quickly create a separate laboratory for this rapid testing, made the facility a natural choice for the initial partnership, G42 officials said.

“We are proud of UMC’s ability to build upon our extensive laboratory capabilities, to work with G42 and our other partners in Clark County and throughout our State to collectively strive to keep our residents and visitors safe and healthy,” said Mason Van Houweling, CEO of UMC. “We sincerely thank UAE and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the representatives from G42, for their support and collaboration. We also thank Jim Murren, Chairman of the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force, and the Task Force members for helping to facilitate this partnership.”

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About Group 42 :
Group 42 (G42) is a leading Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing company based in Abu Dhabi, uniquely positioned in the national ecosystem to develop and deploy holistic and scalable AI solutions.

G42 is founded on three core components: 1) fundamental and applied AI Research through its subsidiary the Inception Institute of Artificial Intelligence [http://www.inceptioniai.org/] , 2) a leading Cloud Computing Platform capable of powering the largest and most demanding customers in the region 3) high-impact AI solutions optimized for a wide range of industries such as: Smart City, Healthcare, Financial Services, Oil and Gas, Utilities, Education, Aviation, Hospitality and Tourism.

G42 is in the frontline of the battle against COVID-19. Thanks to its pioneering healthcare and genomics practice, and leveraging its strategic partnership with BGI and Nanopore, the company has recently announced the launch of a groundbreaking detection laboratory capable of conducting tens of thousands RT-PCR test s daily. G42 is also involved in the production of COVID-19 diagnostic kits and other medical goods, the supply of thermal sensors, and is working in coordination with local and international health authorities to assist them in the creation of effective prevention and detection protocols to contain the virus.

G42 has an active and extensive partnership network, connecting leading international organizations that complement its ecosystem and support its vision.

For further information on G42 visit www.g42.ai