The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council convened a roundtable luncheon with Mr. Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Shamsi, Head of Mubadala Healthcare, and Dr. Rakesh Suri, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday January 30th in Dubai. The luncheon, which took place on the sidelines of Arab Health, provided an opportunity to introduce Mr. Al Shamsi and Dr. Suri in their new positions and allow them to discuss the future of U.A.E. healthcare with American and Emirati healthcare executives as well as the Honorable Barbara A. Leaf, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., and Paul Malik, U.S. Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai.
From L to R: Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council; Dr. Rakesh Suri, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi; Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Shamsi, Head of Mubadala Healthcare; The Honorable Barbara A. Leaf, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E.; and Paul Malik, U.S. Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai
U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council President Danny Sebright welcomed attendees and highlighted the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s new report, titled “The U.A.E. Healthcare Sector: An Update.” Building on the Business Council’s original report from September 2016, this updated and expanded study aims to facilitate the involvement of U.S. companies in the U.A.E.’s healthcare development by providing key information about the sector and potential Emirati partners.
Mr. Al Shamsi subsequently provided an overview of recent developments and future plans at Mubadala Healthcare, which seeks to address the region’s most pressing healthcare needs through the creation of specialist world-class healthcare facilities. He also discussed opportunities for partnership with Mubadala Healthcare’s portfolio companies, which include Healthpoint, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, National Reference Laboratory Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, Capital Health Screening Centre and Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre (recently rebranded as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – Al Ain).
“A healthy population, supported by a world-class healthcare system, is one of the foundations of the Abu Dhabi Government’s vision for a prosperous society. To support this vision, Mubadala Healthcare has developed a network of seven leading healthcare providers committed to delivering world-class care to an expanding Abu Dhabi population. Our focus is on innovative thinking and technology, delivering regional firsts in clinical and surgical procedures while focusing on specialized areas where patients have traditionally travelled abroad for complex care,” said Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Shamsi.
Dr. Rakesh Suri then updated attendees on Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi‘s progress addressing a range of complex and critical care requirements unique to the Abu Dhabi population. As the new CEO of CCAD, he also reviewed his vision, goals, and objectives for the hospital. In addition, he suggested ways that CCAD can collaborate with other U.S. and U.A.E. institutions to provide world-class healthcare to the people of Abu Dhabi, the U.A.E., and the wider region.
“Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi was founded on the principle that U.A.E. residents deserve the same global standard of complex, critical care they would receive from Cleveland Clinic in the United States, closer to home. In 2018, we are building on our “Patients First” approach to offer new services, including the types of organ transplants most needed in the Emirates, while expanding our capacity and ability to offer increased access in our most sought-after clinics – all with the goal of delivering exceptional patient care,” added Dr. Rakesh Suri, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Before concluding the luncheon, Mr. Al Shamsi and Dr. Suri engaged in a question and answer session with attendees. In so doing, they offered insights into Abu Dhabi’s healthcare landscape in particular and U.A.E. healthcare writ large.
