The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted three roundtables with leadership from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Dubai Health Authority, and the Department of Health Abu Dhabi in conjunction with Arab Health 2022 in Dubai. The roundtables were attended by U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council members who have a vested interest in expanding their partnerships with the U.A.E. Representatives of the U.S. Government and various U.S. state economic development organizations also attended the meetings.

In welcoming Emirati guests, Business Council leadership and member companies  lauded the U.A.E.’s  exemplary response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In return, various Emirati officials praised the role that the American business community played in supporting the U.A.E.’s fight against Covid-19. 

H.E. Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH), noted the transformative vision of U.A.E. leadership in shaping the future of health care, and Abu Dhabi’s desire to be a world-class medical leader and destination. H.E. emphasized the importance of clinical research in health innovation, and spoke of efforts to expand organic homegrown research being conducted in the U.A.E. H.E. Dr. Al Kaabi also emphasized the U.A.E.’s interest in further developing its pediatric capabilities. H.E. Dr. Al Kaabi and his team underscored Abu Dhabi’s desire to build a holistic ecosystem at every level, stating this could only be done with world-class partners like those from the U.S.

H.E. Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Health Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), detailed various measures MOHAP has taken to support health and pharmaceutical innovation and private partnerships in the U.A.E.  H.E. also discussed areas for increased collaboration with U.S. healthcare, pharma, and medical device entities, and called for heightened cooperation with business in the U.A.E. He noted that MOHAP’s regulatory efficiency is a “green light” for innovation. U.S. Government officials highlighted the significant progress made by the U.A.E. with regard to recent changes in law related to IP and other protections.

Dr. Marwan Al Mulla, CEO of the Health Regulation Sector at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), discussed DHA’s goal to create a world-class digital ecosystem for healthcare. He explained alignment of these objectives with Dubai’s greater vision of E-government. Dr. Al Mulla also emphasized Dubai’s efforts to further build its medical tourism industry. In turn, Dr. Mohammad Al Redha, Director of Health Informatics and the Smart Health Department at DHA, detailed DHA’s efforts to make the process of individual  medical check-ups more efficient by adopting technological innovations that streamline the patient health experience.

For more information about the U.A.E.’s healthcare sector, please click here. For more information on the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s work in healthcare and pharmaceutical innovation, or our upcoming events, please contact Ameer Alsamman at aalsamman@usuaebusiness.org.