Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, has approved the strategy and operating budget of the Dubai Longevity Authority (DLA) following the regulator’s inaugural board meeting, at which he presides.
The approvals move the DLA from its establishment phase into implementation. Formed under Law No. (17) of 2026 and under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the authority describes itself as the world’s first regulator dedicated to the Longevity, Wellness and Advanced Health (LWAH) sector. Its mandate runs the full value chain: research and clinical trials, sourcing, manufacturing, market delivery, and commercialisation.
“Dubai’s development model places people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life at the heart of its priorities. Guided by this vision, the Dubai Longevity Authority’s strategy sets a clear path towards establishing Dubai as a leading global hub for longevity, wellness and advanced health. We aim to create an ecosystem that brings together innovation, talent, investment, and regulation to foster new scientific discoveries and translate them into solutions that help people live longer and in better health. By attracting the world’s brightest minds in life sciences, biotechnology and medical innovation, we are building a sector that will drive scientific progress, contribute to sustainable economic growth and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global destination for the industries of the future. Every step we take, every partnership we build and every innovation we enable ultimately serves one purpose: serving humanity,” Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said in a statement.
The DLA is chaired by Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The inaugural board also included Omar Sultan Al Olama as vice chairman, alongside the heads of Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Future Foundation, and Dubai Health.
Since its launch on June 6, the authority has been developing its governance model and an activity-based licensing framework. A central near-term focus is its Minimum Viable Product programme, a supervised environment allowing selected innovators to test and scale under regulatory oversight, running public and private sector activity in parallel rather than in sequence.
“Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, we are building a globally competitive ecosystem for the future of health from first principles, spanning the Longevity, Wellness and Advanced Health sector. In our first weeks since inception, we have framed DLA’s governance and set its regulatory direction, moving at pace while taking a rigorous approach. Today’s approvals from H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum give us the mandate to accelerate through a phased roadmap into licensed activity, institutional investment, and tangible gains in both healthspan and lifespan, for all,” Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Chairman of the Dubai Longevity Authority added.
Looking ahead, the authority plans to deepen its regulatory capacity, advance the MVP programme, and launch its first market-facing initiatives.
Strategic partnerships, investor enablement, and frameworks for data and intellectual property are all on the roadmap, alongside efforts to build public confidence in the sector. The DLA sits within the broader objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Social Agenda 33.
