A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore
A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore
A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore
A scientist at Oxford Nanopore lab. Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company said on Tuesday it is investing £39 million in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Courtesy: Oxford Nanopore

Abu Dhabi’s IHC invests $51m in UK’s Oxford Nanopore Technologies


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi’s International Holdings Company invested £39 million ($51m) in Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a UK based firm that specialises in DNA sequencing technology.

The latest investment is part of Oxford Nanopore’s £84.4m equity raising exercise and will help the company boost its Covid-19 testing capability, IHC said in a statement on Tuesday.

“IHC has a strong track record in the healthcare device sector in the Middle East and we are very pleased to be expanding our interests globally,” Syed Basar Shueb, chief executive and managing director of IHC, said. “Oxford Nanopore has developed distinctive and proven technology and has been highly effective in taking products from innovation to market within tight timeframes.”

IHC, which is listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, is active in a number of sectors including real estate, manufacturing and financial services. The company recently entered into a partnership with Dal Group to develop and cultivate 100,000 acres of farmland in Sudan, with a total investment of $225m.

In the first half of 2020, IHC posted a net profit of Dh814m on revenues of Dh2.5 billion.

Oxford Nanopore, on the other hand, has developed and commercialised a new generation of DNA or RNA sequencing technology that is helping researchers explore human genetics, cancer, infectious pathogens, plant and animal genomics and environmental science. The company is currently raising money to scale up its new Covid-19 test, LamPORE.

”We are delighted to welcome IHC as an investor in Oxford Nanopore,” said Gordon Sanghera, chief executive of Oxford Nanopore. “Our international shareholder base reflects the international ambitions of Oxford Nanopore, as our technology is now used to answer important biological questions in more than 100 countries.”

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Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km

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Company Profile

Company name: NutriCal

Started: 2019

Founder: Soniya Ashar

Based: Dubai

Industry: Food Technology

Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount

Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia

Total Clients: Over 50

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Company%20profile
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Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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