[May 19, 2008] Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor, Chairman of Al Habtoor Group, today announced that he has contributed AED18.35 million (US$5 million) to the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR) to support its efforts to raise the bar of healthcare excellence in the Arab world. The contribution will make Al Habtoor a founder member of the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medial Research, joining an elite group of donors. Acknowledging this generous donation, the Medical Simulation Center at the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center Institute for Postgraduate Education and Research, currently under construction at Dubai Healthcare City, a member of Tatweer, will be dedicated in recognition of Mr. Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor. Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor said: “It is an honor to support the work of Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research in cutting-edge biomedical research for the benefit of our region. Our contribution is a reflection of our group’s business objective and our commitment to the community at large.”

Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor, Chairman of Al Habtoor Group offering his generous contribution to Dr. Robert Thurer, Executive Director of Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR), to support its endeavour of raising the bar of healthcare excellence in the Arab world.

Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashimi, CEO Dubai Healthcare City and Member of the Board of Trustees Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research, said: “This donation from one of the prominent business leaders in the UAE affirms their keenness to support the pursuit of knowledge, especially medical research. We are thankful for this generous gift since it will help improve the research activities in the region.

Dr. Robert L. Thurer, Executive Director of the Foundation, said: “We welcome Al Habtoor’s contribution that will significantly benefit the development of future generations of scientists and educational leaders in the Gulf region. It will allow us to recognize and support inventive research programs.”

Membership of the Foundation offers philanthropists the opportunity to drive biomedical research in a number of critical disease areas, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders affecting children. As part of the Foundation Council, founder members aim to help DHFMR and DHCC realize its vision of establishing world-class health care, as well as advanced research facilities in Dubai and the region.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, is the original founder of the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR) that he established with an endowment of AED50 million (US$13.6 million) in 2006. The Foundation seeks to support biomedical research and academic programmes for the advancement of scientific knowledge and the creation of a medical community of regional leaders.

The DHFMR is in the process of raising US$100 million to create a permanent endowment that will generate funds to sustain medical education, create scholarship and fellowship programs, and develop research centers in life sciences. The Foundation’s research programs will be implemented in collaboration with the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center Institute for Postgraduate Education and Research (HMSDC), which will also develop collaborative scientific and medical research between regional laboratories and Harvard Medical School.

The DHFMR is a member of the Mohamed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Center, which also includes HMSDC, University Hospital, the Al Maktoum Harvard Medical Library, and the Boston University Institute for Dental Research and Education.

[Monday, May 19, 2008]