The Veterinary Research Center in the United Arab Emirates is an institution founded in 1990 in the Al Khailiya area near Abu Dhabi International Airport, under the patronage and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Initially, the center had a department for camel breeding and another for veterinary laboratories. However, the center quickly became a prominent landmark in veterinary research, especially in camel hybridization for racing, milk, and meat production.

Over time, the center gained widespread recognition, known as the “Hybrid Research Center” and the “Sweihan Laboratory” due to its proximity to the Sweihan area, a part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The center achieved an unprecedented milestone in 1992 when it produced the first “foal” using embryo transfer technology. Since then, up until 2013, the center has produced over 5000 camels using this technology.

Thanks to these advanced techniques, camels can now give birth multiple times a year instead of once every two years. Normally, camels give birth once every two years after a gestation period of twelve and a half months. However, using embryo transfer technology, camels can give birth at least five times in a single year, and this number can go up to twenty-five times per year.

In 2005, the center began using artificial insemination, contributing to remarkable successes in camel breeding. In recent years, the center has become a public attraction, offering a variety of services including infertility examinations, embryo transfers for camels, and the sale of high-quality camels produced at the center. Many of these camels have gone on to win famous camel races, and they have been sold and exchanged among buyers, sellers, and businesspeople for millions of dirhams. Camel auctions have become a popular market among camel owners, breeders, and businessmen. For example, one of these camels was sold for AED 6 million (approximately $1.6 million) at a camel racing auction.

In light of its continuous success and expansion, the center was relocated in 2010 to a larger site in the Abu Salaf area near the Sweihan region. In 2011, a new department was added, dedicated to the verification and documentation of camel breeds, giving the center a new dimension in veterinary research.