Dubai, UAE – September 11, 2026: His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, visited Aster Pharmacy’s distribution centre in Dubai Industrial City, one of the largest pharmaceutical warehouses in the region.
During the visit, His Highness said the private sector has an important role to play in building and developing an efficient and reliable healthcare system. Sheikh Hamdan noted the importance of cooperation between the private and public sectors in providing high-quality services that meet the community’s needs for medicines and medical supplies.
His Highness was briefed by Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder and Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, and Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare, on the operations of the 145,000 sq. ft. facility and the services it provides across the UAE and the GCC through Aster’s network.
Sheikh Hamdan commended the facility’s innovative approach, which improves efficiency and enables medicines to be distributed faster and with greater accuracy. He expressed his support for Aster’s continued growth and its efforts to adopt innovative solutions that further enhance its services and contribute to the development of the UAE’s healthcare system.
His Highness was accompanied by His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; and His Excellency Malek Al Malek, Chairman of TECOM Group.
The facility handles approximately 75,000 transactions each day through Aster’s UAE network of 350 pharmacies, 120 medical clinics and 15 hospitals.
Commenting on the visit, Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare, said “We are honoured to welcome His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to our facility and to showcase the strength of Aster Pharmacy’s advanced robotic warehouse and its role in enabling faster, more accurate and efficient distribution of medicines across the UAE. His Highness’s visit and support reaffirm the importance of innovation and public-private collaboration in strengthening the UAE’s healthcare ecosystem, and we remain committed to contributing to Dubai’s vision of building a world-class, technology-enabled healthcare system.”