UAE doctors seek the secret of longevity

The United Arab Emirates is positioning itself as a regional leader in longevity and ageing prevention. Alongside the fight against obesity to curb the growing number of overweight people, specialised centres dedicated to healthy ageing are being opened.

These include the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP), a venture to map the longevity industry in the UAE.

The Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre (ADSCC) is conducting research on tissue regeneration and rejuvenation of ageing cells to increase longevity from 2019.

Age-related diseases are being studied by the Biocomputing Innovation Research Lab in Masdar City, a partnership between Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi and BioMap, a company specialising in artificial intelligence modelling.

The Middle East is investing heavily in longevity science. If current trends continue, people aged over 50 in the Gulf will make up 18.5 per cent of the population by 2025, up from 14.2 per cent in 2020.

The World Health Organisation predicts that the number of people living over 60 will double by 2050 and triple by 2100.

According to the UK Office for National Statistics, a third of children born in 2013 will reach the age of 100, and the US Census Bureau predicts that the number of people aged over 85 will triple by 2060.

Rapid developments in stem cell technology suggest that humanity is capable of surviving, and even working, for much longer than expected, and by the end of the century, the age of 150 will be the norm.

Source: The National

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