MENA Microbiome 2024

From Biomarkers Discovery to Microbiota-based Therapeutics
28–29 September 2024 | Qatar

Overview

MENA Microbiome 2024 marked the inaugural edition of the Middle East and North Africa Human Microbiome Conference, hosted by Sidra Medicine. Under the theme “From Biomarkers Discovery to Microbiota-based Therapeutics,” the conference brought together leading international and regional experts to explore the expanding role of the human microbiome in health and disease.

The two-day event highlighted advances in microbiome research across obesity, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and pregnancy-related complications. Discussions emphasized the translation of biomarker discovery into microbiota-based therapeutic strategies tailored to the genetic and environmental characteristics of the MENA population.

With approximately 800 attendees from across the region and beyond, the conference served as a landmark step toward establishing the MENA region as a hub for microbiome science, collaboration, and innovation.

Conference Objectives

• Define the current landscape of human microbiome research
• Examine early-life and maternal influences on microbiome development
• Explore diet, lifestyle, and microbiome interactions using a One Health approach
• Assess the role of microbiome in chronic and inflammatory diseases
• Review microbial metabolites and their impact on human health
• Highlight recent microbiome-based therapeutics and clinical trials

Program Highlights

Day 1 – Microbiome in Health and Disease

The first day explored the balance between health and disease through microbiome science, including:

• Keynote lectures on gut permeability, immune response, and microbiome-host interactions
• Multi-omics approaches to pediatric inflammatory bowel disease
• Diet and lifestyle influences on microbiome composition
• Synbiotic and probiotic interventions in metabolic disorders
• Therapeutic applications including fecal microbiota transplantation
• Panel discussion to establish the MENA Human Microbiome Consortium

Day 2 – Systems Biology and Women’s Health

The second day focused on:

• Gut microbiome composition and systems biology approaches
• Microbiome profiling in diabetes and metabolic disease
• Microbiome in women’s health, fertility, pregnancy, and prematurity
• Antimicrobial stewardship in pediatric populations
• Documentary screening: The Invisible Extinction
• Poster presentations and awards

Scientific Committee

The conference was chaired by:

• Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor, Director – Reproductive & Perinatal Health Division, Sidra Medicine
• Dr. Annalisa Terranegra, Principal Investigator – Precision Nutrition, Sidra Medicine

With scientific committee members from Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Belgium, and regional institutions.

Abstracts & Participation

Abstract submissions were open from 1 March to 30 June 2024. Selected abstracts were presented as posters and short oral talks. Submissions were evaluated on scientific merit, originality, and alignment with conference objectives.

Impact

MENA Microbiome 2024 successfully united clinicians, scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance microbiome research in the region. The event strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration, fostered the creation of a regional microbiome consortium, and laid the foundation for future editions of the conference.