The United Arab Emirates Collect DNA from Their Population on a Large Scale

Title: The United Arab Emirates Collect DNA from Their Population on a Large Scale
The Emirati Genome Program, launched by the UAE six years ago, raises the question: Is it only for detecting diseases? Its goal is to sequence the genetic code of all citizens, totaling around one million people. A significant portion of the contributions are voluntary, with only those Emiratis who plan to marry being required to provide genetic material.

The project is overseen by G42, a state-backed artificial intelligence conglomerate, through its subsidiary M42. The laboratories utilize massive NovaSeq X Plus sequencers, which can simultaneously process 128 human samples and generate up to 16 terabytes of data per batch, as detailed by Bloomberg, which visited the site. These technological giants cost about $1.25 million each and allow for the simultaneous analysis of large quantities of DNA to identify unique markers and feed into national databases.

Sequencing the Emirates: A Major Medical and Ethnic Challenge
The challenge has (almost) been met: to date, the program has collected DNA from over 750,000 Emiratis and processed 230,000 samples last year, becoming the largest genomic database in the world. Current efforts are focused on non-citizen residents, including newborns, with plans to open a biobank ten times larger than the current one this year. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to transform the country into a global technology and biotechnology hub, combining artificial intelligence, data centers, and advanced digital infrastructures.

The government highlights several benefits for public health and innovation. Thus, the program aims to enable personalized medicine capable of early disease detection and improved prevention. Masud, a spokesperson for M42 interviewed by Bloomberg, believes this is evidenced by the identification of hereditary disease risks in 8% of about 9,000 couples screened.

The genetic material also presents an ethnic challenge: it constitutes a major source of data on Middle Eastern populations, which have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials and genetic mapping programs. The UAE emphasizes that its country has relatively high levels of genetic diseases linked to consanguineous marriages, with genetic disorders being the fourth leading cause of national mortality.

Combining artificial intelligence with genomic data is also seen as a driver for drug discovery and care optimization, potentially accelerating pharmaceutical research and enhancing medical innovation.

Data Concerns
However, the program raises ethical and political concerns. Genetic databases can be used for surveillance or population control, a risk heightened in a country where legal protections are limited and dissent is poorly tolerated. NGOs have criticized the UAE for revoking citizenship from critics and ethnic minorities, sometimes for ancestral reasons. The mass collection of DNA may thus be perceived as a tool for coercion or discrimination.

The dark history of genetics amplifies these concerns: in the United States, eugenicists enforced sterilization of disabled individuals (Le Monde), while Nazi Germany used genetics to justify mass murders. Even in Western democracies, consent and the use of biobanks remain problematic, as evidenced by controversies surrounding the UK Biobank — which allegedly provided its biomedical data to an insurance company (The Guardian) — or 23andMe and its stolen data (France Culture).