Health
From The Report: Dubai 2019
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One of the most rapidly expanding markets in the region in recent years, Dubai’s health care sector is set for further growth, driven by an expanding and ageing population, changing medical needs and a determination by the government to provide all citizens with the best possible health care. Both inpatient and outpatient markets are widely forecast to see double-digit expansion in the run-up to 2022, while subsectors such as medical tourism continue to gain momentum. At the same time, investment in new technologies is gathering pace, with Dubai seek¬ing to become a global leader in high-tech medical applications and digital services, like telemedicine.

This chapter contains an interview with Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General, Dubai Health Authority.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Good prospects: Demographics and increased private participation are expected to drive expansion in health care provision
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One of the most rapidly expanding markets in the region in recent years, Dubai’s health care sector is set for further growth, driven by an expanding and ageing population, changing medical needs and a determination by the government to provide all citizens with the best possible health care. Both inpatient and outpatient markets are widely forecast to see double-digit expansion leading up to 2022, while subsectors such as medical tourism continue to gain momentum. At the same time, investment…

Interview

Global destination: Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), on expanding coverage and encouraging health tourism
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Interview:Humaid Al Qutami The population grew from 1.95m to 2.60m between 2011-16, how is this change being accommodated? HUMAID AL QUTAMI: As the population has increased the sector has also expanded. To further boost expansion of the sector, we have further streamlined the health licensing process to ease and shorten the time taken to issue and renew the licences of health facilities and professionals. We have launched a strategy for the sector to guide investors, prevent oversupply and…

Analysis

Building resources: Recruiting and training medical staff are key strategic aims
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One of the biggest challenges for health services worldwide is that of human resources. Finding and keeping the best doctors and nurses, administrators and technicians in an increasingly competitive and globalised sector requires a range of approaches. For Dubai, whose population and workforce has a high concentration of expatriates, personnel recruitment, retention and training is a particularly key issue. The emirate has engaged in a series of programmes to expand its workforce in recent…

Analysis

Holistic approach: Officials launch the emirate’s first inclusive mental health strategy
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Mental health is one of the 15 programmes outlined in Dubai Health Strategy 2016-21. However, development of policies in this area are still in the very early stage, with no official statistics regarding the prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders in Dubai available as of early 2019. One of the most important challenges that the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) faces in terms of data collection is the social stigma that is associated with mental health conditions. Information on the official…

Overview

Investing in health: Rising health care costs and advancing medical technology lead to improved patient care and cost savings
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Rising health care costs, ageing populations and changing lifestyles in emerging economies are stoking demand for medical technology (medtech) solutions. These entail not just smart devices that remotely monitor and transmit biometric data, but any instance of technology that helps to deliver health services. These initiatives are happening everywhere, but there are significant differences in the speed and scale of medtech adoption across emerging markets. UBS Investment Bank estimates that the emerging markets health sector will grow 6.3% annually over the next decade – double the speed of developed markets – as governments make…

Overview

Promoting pharmaceuticals: As health care provision expands, demand for both local and imported pharmaceutical products is rising
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In recent decades, the pharmaceutical market has expanded its geographic reach. This trend appears to be here to stay; in a survey of major pharmaceutical firms conducted by global consulting firm PwC’s Strategy& team, more than half of respondents anticipated that over 30% of their global sales would originate in emerging markets by 2018. Even in the most newly opened markets, drug companies have seen growth: forecasts for Myanmar, for instance, indicate that pharmaceuticals could quickly grow into a $1bn industry. As governments and companies take note of this high potential, both are pursuing development in the face of cross-cutting…

Overview

Promoting pharmaceuticals: As health care provision expands, demand for both local and imported pharmaceutical products is rising
OBG
plus

In recent decades, the pharmaceutical market has expanded its geographic reach. This trend appears to be here to stay; in a survey of major pharmaceutical firms conducted by global consulting firm PwC’s Strategy& team, more than half of respondents anticipated that over 30% of their global sales would originate in emerging markets by 2018. Even in the most newly opened markets, drug companies have seen growth: forecasts for Myanmar, for instance, indicate that pharmaceuticals could quickly grow into a $1bn industry. As governments and companies take note of this high potential, both are pursuing development in the face of cross-cutting…