Abu Dhabi, Feb. 6th, 2007 (WAM)--- In the presence of Her Excellency AngelaMerkel, the German Chancellor, Mubadala Development Company, and investmentand development vehicle wholly owned by the Government of the Emiratesof Abu Dhabi, has signed a contract with Siemens Medical Solutions tobuild and operate a specialist Molecular Imaging Center (MIC) in Abu Dhabito include the Siemens PET CT (Positron Emission Tomography - ComputedTomography) diagnostic system and the Cyclotron radioisotope deliverysystem.

The contract was signed by Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Chief OperatingOfficer, for Mubadala and Peter Fuchs, Chief Executive Officer, SiemensLLC.

The USD 21.7 million three-phased contract entails designing, building,and operation & maintenance of the MIC. Scheduled to open during thesecond half of 2008, the facility will be the first of its kind in theregion.

The first phase already began in 2006 and saw Siemens setting up a teamof experts who have been working closely with Mubadala to design whatwill be a unique facility with the very latest and innovative molecularimaging diagnostic technology. The contract signing marks the move intothe second phase of the project, when the building of the MIC will commence.

A five-year facility management and operation contract is expected tobe signed following completion of the facility construction.

The MIC will also be the first in this region to feature a Cyclotron,Siemens' particle accelerator that produces high yields of reliable radioisotopebiomarkers. These are essential for accurate PET diagnosis. In additionto supplying Mubadala's Molecular Imaging Center, the plan is to enableother diagnostic facilities in the vicinity to also have access to thisimportant technology.

As well as the clinical provisions, the company's standard operating systemand user interface Syngo will allow seamless data sharing across all partsof the MIC and with other clinics worldwide.

The center will be fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical diagnosticequipment for anatomic and functional diagnosis. These include the SiemensPET CT (Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography) diagnosticsystem and the Cyclotron radioisotope delivery system.

"We are excited to begin this cooperation with Siemens, a widely respectedbrand name in the global healthcare solutions marketplace. Together, wewill provide the healthcare sector in the region with sophisticated andunparalleled molecular imaging and diagnostic services, leveraging onthe world-class facilities offered by the center "said Waleed Al MokarrabAl Muhairi of Mubadala.

PET/CT is a nuclear medicine procedure that produces pictures of the body'smetabolic functions. Its capability in early detection of cancer, cardio-vascularand neurological diseases can save time and healthcare costs, thereforeimproving the patient experience and increasing chances of survival.

The PET/CT images help physicians select more effective therapies andimprove patient care, while ultimately helping to save lives. The scanallows physicians to view metabolic activity and pinpoint where abnormallesions are located so that they may target the diseases. The molecularimaging centre will mainly provide diagnostic services for oncology, cardiologyand neurology.

PET Molecular Imaging is one of the fastest growing areas of imaging forboth research and clinical applications. The Siemens PET CT diagnosticsystem is the first solution to combine true volumetric CT with true volumetricPET. Together, they allow the tiniest lesions to be detected at whatis currently the industry's highest spatial resolution.

Images from the PET CT scanner can be acquired twice as fast as with atraditional PET CT scan with no loss in the quality of the image. Moreimportantly, the patients will experience increased comfort as diagnosiscan be made with half the usual CT dosage.

Surpassing bids from competitors, Peter Fuchs, CEO of Siemens LLC, believesthe reason Siemens was selected for the project is due to the company'sextensive portfolio: "With a comprehensive facility such as the MIC,a diverse range of solutions are required. Siemens demonstrated an attractiveproposition because as a key healthcare infrastructure provider, we presenteda holistic approach to cater for multiple aspects of Mubadala's projectseamlessly," he said.

"Siemens is a pioneer in the development of new imaging techniques andapplications," explained Fuchs. "Our portfolio of solutions includesthe most sophisticated clinical imaging, as well as preclinical and biomarkersolutions that will affect every stage of patient care, from preventionto diagnosis, therapy and follow-up.

"We have already developed similar facilities in the US, UK, Germany andHungary. So we'll be bringing in our expertise and experience of buildingsuch facilities to the MIC here. The new imaging center in Abu Dhabi willmean that this cutting-edge diagnostic technology is now available topatients in this region."Siemens is currently working to develop new biomarkers (substances introducedinto the human body to highlight specific areas during scanning) and innovativeimaging technologies. These technologies will result in earlier detectionof disease, improved disease staging and a faster therapy developmentprocess. One result of this is that Siemens is developing clinical solutionswhich can be tailored to the unique physiology of individual patients.

The MIC in Abu Dhabi will be equipped with these latest technologies.

Siemens' Industrial Solutions and Services group will also be involvedin the civil works and electrical engineering for the building of theMIC.