The UAE is already among the world’s most popular destinations for medical tourism, but there is still plenty of room for growth, say local experts.
Medical tourism, when people travel from their country of residence to receive healthcare, is a global market worth $31.91 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $52.87 billion in 2027, according to GlobalData.
Countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and India are among the top destinations for medical tourism, but the UAE is one of the fastest growing.
About $5.4 billion was spent by wellness tourists coming to the UAE in 2022, up from $2.1 billion in 2020, according to the Global Wellness Economy Monitor.
This is not only individuals coming for their own medical treatment, but also companies booking on behalf of their employees, said Stan Klyuy, chief commercial officer at corporate travel platform Tumodo.
“Over the past year, the number of bookings related to medical tourism has doubled,” Mr Klyuy told The National.
“Some companies have begun to pay more attention to the health of their employees, sending them abroad for treatment at corporate expense.”
The UAE’s focus on health care
The government has put a spotlight on health care in recent years, with the launch of several initiatives, including the Emirates Health Services Innovation Strategy 2023-2026 and the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031.
The UAE also has the fastest growth rate for health spending in the GCC, expected to reach $30.7 billion by 2027, according to a survey by Alpen Capital.
In 2018, the Abu Dhabi Medical Tourism e-portal launched as a digital platform providing visitors with a list of dozens of health care facilities in a national medical tourism network, as well as almost 300 treatment packages from more than 170 doctors across the emirate.
In January, Dubai Healthcare City also started taking applications for its newly introduced medical visa, allowing treatment centres to apply for a visa of three to six months on behalf of their patients.
Dubai, in particular, has become a hub for patients seeking medical treatment from across the region, including countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the GCC, according to Dubai Healthcare City.
Specialisms bringing travellers to Dubai include dermatology, dentistry, gynaecology, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, ophthalmology and fertility treatments.
Dubai Health Authority reported it received 674,000 medical tourists who spent Dh992 million ($270 million) in 2022, increasing from Dh262 million the previous year.
Reasons cited for this growth are the city’s strategic location, safety levels, state-of-the-art infrastructure and high-quality amenities, as well as a recent influx of highly-skilled medical professionals.
Abu Dhabi is also a popular choice. Last year, Abu Dhabi Investment Office reported that more than 15,000 medical tourists travel to the capital annually.
Jorge A Guzman, chief executive of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – which was recently named among the world's top hospitals, told Arabian Gulf Business Insight the number of medical tourists it received rose 20 per cent last year.
Merging health care with hospitality
When Dr Raza Siddiqui arrived in the UAE from India 25 years ago, the global medical tourism industry was only just getting started.
He had come here with Apollo Hospitals to attract healthcare travellers from the Emirates back to India, but he ended up staying to help bring visitors here instead.
“Medical tourism has got two components: health care and hospitality,” Dr Siddiqui, who is now chief executive of Arab Healthcare Group, told The National.
“Dubai and the UAE was perceived at that time as a preferred destination for hospitality.”
Seeing huge potential in the UAE, Dr Siddiqui helped set up RAK Hospital in 2007, using the same designers as America’s Mayo Clinic, with an ambition to eventually achieve the same level of international recognition.
The hospital in Ras Al Khaimah has since become a mainstay of the UAE’s medical tourism industry and is set to triple its capacity by the end of this year to keep up with demand.
There is still plenty of room for growth across the country, said Dr Siddiqui. “By our calculations, about 6,000 to 7,000 medical tourists go through Dubai Airports every day to go to other destinations.
“They are going to India, Thailand, Singapore, Germany and the UK. They could be coming here.”
One patient is equal to 10 leisure tourists in terms of money spent and the country’s reputational boost, he added. “That one patient also is not coming alone, they are coming with at least one relative who is going to stay at a hotel.
“If you are doing 1,000 [hospital] beds, you are generating revenue equal to 10,000 hotel [rooms]. That is one of the best non-oil economy alternatives for the country.
“And the image it gives you is unimaginable, because if you go to a country for health care, then [that country is] in the bracket of the most advanced countries in the world.”
Specialist health care and utilising the Metaverse
Dr Shanila Laiju, group chief executive of Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, says it is a combination of quality infrastructure, skilled medical professionals, affordable treatment options, advanced procedures and short waiting times that draws tourists to the Emirates.
The country also offers “a harmonious blend of health care and tourism”, she said.
The group has more than 20 facilities across Dubai and Sharjah, and has witnessed huge growth in demand specifically from patients with rare and complex diseases.
For example, Medcare Women and Children Hospital has become known for its gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic degenerative neuromuscular disease.
The facility has administered 100 gene therapy infusions to children with the disorder, 90 per cent of whom travelled from Turkey, but also from Romania, Russia, Belarus, Nepal and Iran.
One of the ways the group is catering for this growing medical tourism market is by opening a facility, Medcare Royal Hospital, near Dubai International Airport later this year.
It also offers telehealth services, which include instant appointments with doctors and online hospital viewings.
“Patients can view the hospital facilities live in the metaverse before making an informed decision to have their surgical procedures done at Medcare,” said Dr Laiju.
Primed for future growth
As the global population continues to grow and advances in healthcare allow people to live longer, the medical tourism industry is set only to expand.
“The GCC’s high prevalence rates of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes indicate that many future medical and wellness tourists are likely to come from neighbouring nations,” said Dr Laiju.
“To address this need, we must also work on creating healthcare experiences that prioritise well-being above treatment.”
Critical shortages in the region’s healthcare industry must also be addressed, she added, including raising awareness of preventive care.
“The improvements to healthcare services will help residents of the community while also preparing the region for future growth.”
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
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Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
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Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
