The United Arab Emirates confirmed on 3 February 2026 that it will support a nine-figure biodiversity preservation project with US biotech firm Colossal Biosciences.
Governments around the world are currently facing mounting warnings that nearly half of Earth’s species could be at risk of extinction by mid-century.
The partnership was announced during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, placing the collaboration firmly within a policy and governance setting rather than a corporate showcase.
A Colossal BioVault and World Preservation Lab will be established as a permanent research facility at Dubai’s Museum of the Future under the agreement, following a directive from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The site is intended to function as an active laboratory, not only a public exhibition space. Majed Al Mansoori, Executive Director of the Museum of the Future, framed the effort in institutional terms. “I believe the future belongs to those who harness technology and innovation to address our greatest challenges,” he said, adding that the first year will prioritise “fieldwork and DNA research across species.”
The BioVault is designed to preserve genetic material from more than 10,000 species, housing millions of samples. Initial work will focus on the 100 most imperilled species not currently banked elsewhere. The facility will use robotics, AI-powered monitoring, cryopreservation, and reanimation tools to manage long-term storage and access.
“Today’s biobanking efforts are underfunded, fragmented, and often inaccessible,” he said, describing the Dubai facility as “a modern-day Noah’s Ark for protecting and restoring life on our planet.” Colossal co-founder and chief executive Ben Lamm stated.
The project includes an open data component, with non-proprietary genomic information to be shared globally, and plans for a distributed BioVault network starting in the UAE. While the government has led an initial contribution to Colossal’s latest funding round, officials said future investments “will be disclosed at the appropriate times.”