Kuehne+Nagel UAE now licensed to store APIs and excipients

Kuehne+Nagel in the United Arab Emirates has received certification from the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), allowing it to store and possess raw pharmaceutical materials at its facility in Dubai South. This marks a key milestone in boosting the company's healthcare and life sciences logistics capabilities across the region.

The certification adds to Kuehne+Nagel’s existing licence to store medical products, offering a more complete solution for pharmaceutical customers throughout their production cycle. This is expected to benefit healthcare supply chains across Africa and the Middle East, particularly where access to compliant storage of raw materials is crucial.

Leon Diradourian, GCC Cluster Managing Director at Kuehne+Nagel, said, “This certification marks a significant milestone in strengthening Kuehne+Nagel’s healthcare and life sciences supply chain offering. It benefits customers across all stages of the production cycle in the healthcare industry.”

The EDE is the UAE’s independent body responsible for regulating pharmaceuticals and medical devices. As part of the process, Safa Alkhayat, the company’s appointed pharmacist, underwent a formal assessment and became licensed to handle raw pharmaceutical materials in line with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. This personal certification enabled Kuehne+Nagel to gain official approval from the Ministry of Health to store pharmaceutical starting materials, including excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Kuehne+Nagel’s 42,000 sqm fulfilment centre in Dubai South includes 25,500 sqm of temperature-controlled space dedicated to healthcare. The facility features cold chambers (2–8°C) and restricted-access areas that meet GxP standards, including GMP, Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and Good Storage Practice (GSP), all supported by strong security systems.