PureLab, LODD conduct drone-based blood sample transport pilot in Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, a small aircraft is doing a big job. PureLab and LODD Autonomous are testing a drone-based system to move blood samples between medical facilities. The goal is bold and straightforward. Cut delivery times. Speed up diagnosis. Help patients sooner.

The pilot links SEHA Sheikh Khalifa Medical City with PureLab’s headquarters in the capital. It launched during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. This is not a lab demo or a flashy prototype. It is a real-world test, flown daily, with real samples and real consequences.

As Arindam Haldar, CEO of PureLab, put it, “Every minute saved in transporting blood samples is a minute gained for patients awaiting diagnosis.”

How does it work?

The setup is elegant in its simplicity:

• Blood samples are collected at the hospital as usual
• Instead of a road courier, they are loaded onto an autonomous drone
• The drone flies a direct route to the lab
• Samples arrive faster, intact, and on schedule

LODD’s next-generation UAVs handle the journey. They are designed for reliability, safety, and repeatability. This is not about one dramatic flight. It is about consistency, day after day.

Rashid Al Manai, CEO of LODD Autonomous, called it what it is. “This pilot project is a real-world demonstration of how autonomous aviation can enhance healthcare logistics through fast, safe, and sustainable medical transport solutions.”

In short, fewer delays. Fewer variables. More control.

Why does it matter?

Healthcare runs on time. Lose it, and outcomes suffer.

Faster sample transport means faster test results. Faster results mean quicker decisions by clinicians. That can change treatment paths, shorten hospital stays, and reduce anxiety for patients waiting on answers.

There is also a system-wide upside:

• Improved efficiency across the diagnostics chain
• Reduced reliance on road transport in congested areas
• Lower environmental impact over time
• More resilient logistics during peak demand or emergencies

PureLab frames this as part of a larger responsibility. “By integrating drone logistics into our diagnostics network, we’re not just improving delivery times, we’re advancing the entire continuum of care,” Haldar said.

That is not marketing speak. It is an operational reality.

The context

This pilot sits inside a much bigger ambition. Abu Dhabi wants to be a proving ground for autonomous technology, not just a consumer of it.

His Excellency Badr Al Olama, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, spelled it out clearly. “This pilot marks a defining step in how autonomous systems can strengthen healthcare delivery, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s position as a world-class testbed where the future of mobility is designed and deployed for global impact.”

The project falls under the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries cluster. The idea is to test, learn, and regulate in parallel. Data from these flights will help shape standards and rules for future medical air transport.

This is how innovation sticks. The government sets the frame. Industry builds inside it. Patients see the benefit.

Seen through that lens, a drone carrying blood samples is not a gimmick. It is a signal. Abu Dhabi is quietly turning futuristic ideas into everyday infrastructure, one flight at a time.