Dubai attracts medical travellers from Europe

Thursday, Apr 26, 2012

Medical tourism to Dubai is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is the Emirate’s healthcare free zone that is establishing itself as a destination of choice for quality healthcare, education and research.

Medical tourism to Dubai is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is the Emirate’s healthcare free zone that is establishing itself as a destination of choice for quality healthcare, education and research.

Berlin, 26 April 2012 – Today, Dr Ayesha Abdullah, Managing Director of Dubai Healthcare City, delivered a keynote speech on the “Medical Tourism the Fastest Growing Industry – with a focus on the UAE” at the annual “European Medical Travel Conference 2012”, taking place in Berlin from 25-27 April, 2012. Dr Abdullah introduced Dubai Healthcare City as a hub for medical tourism in the Middle East and presented an overview of the centres of excellence available to medical  travellers coming from Europe and other parts of the world. Dr Abdullah used the opportunity to present the Dubai Healthcare City Edition of Patients Beyond Borders, the first comprehensive guide to medical travel in the Middle East, in English and Arabic. 

Founded in 2002, Dubai Healthcare City soon became a destination of choice for the provision of first class healthcare, education and research services in the Middle East. In 2011 alone, over 3,500 healthcare professionals served more than 500,000 patients from around the world and the latest patient satisfaction index of ninety two is testament to the exceptional quality of care available in the city. In order to further strengthen its high quality treatment and service offer, Dubai Healthcare City has established key partnerships with leading international healthcare organizations as well as academic and research institutions.

“We owe our patients a first class experience, and with the cost and availability of healthcare being key factors in decision-making, we continuously seek to offer innovative high-quality healthcare which is also affordable and accessible”, said Dr Abdullah in Berlin. “In efforts to showcase our world-class healthcare providers, I am pleased to present Patients Beyond Borders Dubai Healthcare City Edition which is the first medical travel guide of its kind in the Middle East. The publication showcases some of the best healthcare facilities in Dubai and we are confident that the world’s leading consumer reference guide for medical tourism will bring greater awareness of Dubai Healthcare City and its world-class medical centers.”

The Emirate’s strategic location, its excellent infrastructure, hospitality, world-renowned tourist attractions and internationally-accredited healthcare facilities makes Dubai a popular tourism hub. Medical tourists select Dubai due to its shorter waiting times and the high quality of medical care. Dubai Healthcare City offers affordable options for specialty care that are commensurate with international standards of quality and success rates.

In 2011, Dubai welcomed more than 9.3 million visitors and tourist arrivals are projected to grow at an annual 7.2 per cent through 2015. Health tourism in the city is expected to generate USD 1.6 billion by the end of 2012.  Dubai’s private sector investments in the healthcare sector have also increased by 12 per cent to USD 8 billion in 2010-11.
Dubai Healthcare City is home to two hospitals and over 100 medical centers, offering expertise in more than 80 specialties, and with over 180 commercial healthcare and retail businesses and several strategic projects under development the city continues to grow to meet the increasing demand for quality healthcare in the region.
The healthcare free zone enjoys increasing popularity among German healthcare institutions. Many German clinics have chosen Dubai to set-up regional offices and participate from this growth-market. Among them are German Heart Centre Bremen, a state-of-the-art cardiology specialty center, German Limbtech, the first German Orthopedic Prosthetic and Orthotic Centre in Dubai, MEDLAB Analytik Dubai a diagnostic laboratory, specialist institutions for gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics, the German Dental Oasis and Tower Clinic specializing in dentistry, with more than seventy German-speaking specialists practicing in Dubai Healthcare City.

The inspiring atmosphere of DHCC has also attracted German pharmaceutical companies like Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Dräger to invest in the region. With nine of the twelve world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, DHCC has already become one of the world’s leading healthcare champions. 

Dr Abdullah concluded by saying “We are immensely proud to be showcasing Dubai Healthcare City and its world-class healthcare providers at this leading medical travel forum, and we look forward to sharing ideas, investment opportunities and best practices with the leaders in healthcare and medical tourism.”