The Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) was established on 25 June 2003 for the purpose of alleviating human suffering from genetic diseases in the Arab World. Since then, the Centre, a division of Sheikh Hamdan Award for Medical Sciences, has dedicated itself to improving human health by characterizing and preventing genetic disorders in Arab countries based on recent advances in human genetics.
The Executive Board of CAGS is formed of a number of local scientists and it represents the governing body and the legal trustee of all activities of the Centre. The Council of CAGS includes a number of regional scientists and it facilitates the exchange of information on genetic disorders occurring in Arab countries. Countries represented in the Council include: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) database, which is a continuously updated, open-access compendium of bibliographic material and observations on human gene variants and inherited, or heritable, genetic diseases in Arabs. As the database covers country after country in what is the largest scientific effort to define genetic disorders in Arab people, a clearer picture of the pattern of genetic disorders and effective strategies to prevent them is emerging.