The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a series of healthcare discussion panels at the Ritz Carlton DIFC Hotel on Tuesday, January 30th 2024 during the Arab Health conference in Dubai. These two panels, which featured leadership from Dubai and Abu Dhabi healthcare and life science institutions, were attended by executives of key companies in the bilateral healthcare relationship. U.S. Consul General, Meghan Gregonis, along with members of the Embassy and Consulate team, attended both sessions and provided opening remarks. 

The first panel on “The Future of the Dubai Health Authority,” highlighted specialists from across the departments of the Dubai Health Authority: Sara Alnuaimi, Senior Administrative Officer in the Health Policies and Standards Department; Khuloud Abdulla Al Ali, Health Informatics & Smart Health Department Specialist; and Hadeel Ahmad A Hajar, Public Health Protection Department Specialist. The second discussion on “Health Tech Revolutions in Abu Dhabi” featured keynote remarks from H.E. Dr. Ahmed AlKhazraji, Executive Director of Strategy and Policy from the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Jorge Guzman, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi; Sadia Khuram, Group Chief Strategy Officer at PureHealth; and Albarah El-Khani, Senior Director of Operations at M42.

Panelists from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) shared updates about changes within DHA, starting with the reorganization of the entity as solely a regulatory authority, removing its responsibilities as a service provider. A separate newly created entity, Dubai Healthcare Corporation, will now oversee hospitals and clinics as the emirate’s service provider. Panelists also discussed the internal transformations happening in each of their respective departments, especially those aimed at enhancing stakeholder engagement in regulatory procedures, integrating advanced technologies and artificial intelligence with patient care, and creating a framework for public health and emergency response management across the emirate.

Sara Alnuaimi shared insight into the manner in which DHA works with internal and external stakeholders and industry to review policies and standards before they are adopted. Khuloud Al Ali gave an overview of the DHA’s NABIDH platform, an online patient data management program, and the ways it is being used across DHA’s initiatives to facilitate the use of individual patient data seamlessly in the provision of healthcare, greatly improving both patient experience and efficiencies for providers. Hadeel Hajar discussed lessons learned from the DHA’s visit to the United States that are being incorporated into new initiatives in the public health and emergency management department. The speakers welcomed partnerships with U.S. companies, especially ones that can bring cutting edge technology and solutions to DHA’s work in priority areas, such as digital education programs on health awareness for children, generative AI for patient data organization and utilization, and programs to train and educate healthcare professionals in the use of new technologies.

H.E. Dr. Ahmed AlKhazraji, Executive Director of Strategy and Policy at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, delivered a keynote address on “Health Tech Revolutions in Abu Dhabi.” H.E. Dr. AlKhazraji spoke about the DOH’s priority areas of development in technology-health integration, which include attracting innovative global companies to collaborate with local entities on healthcare and life sciences research and development in Abu Dhabi. He also highlighted the inaugural Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week conference, which will take place from 13-15 May 2024, in Abu Dhabi, as another key opportunity to participate in the local healthcare ecosystem.

Sadia Khuram, Group Chief Strategy Officer at PureHealth, shared insights into the organization’s growth over the past year, stating that they have “almost perfected the art of ingesting new companies” into the group. With a goal of enhancing longevity and health of people in the U.A.E. “and beyond,” PureHealth’s focus includes bringing healthcare data to the cloud to enable global access for research purposes, investing in healthcare and life sciences around the world, and strengthening stem cell research to find potential treatments for cancer and genetic disorders. Ms. Khuram discussed efforts underway in PureHealth through its “Pura” online platform to encourage initial patient consultations through virtual appointments. 

Dr. Jorge Guzman, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), shared the history of CCAD as an example of a successful partnership between the U.S. and the U.A.E. He discussed the continuing story of CCAD as a leader in the U.A.E. and the region in clinical trials. With over 200 clinical trials currently in progress, he also emphasized CCAD’s focus on patient security in clinical trials. Dr. Guzman encouraged U.S. companies to seek partnerships in Abu Dhabi, particularly in developing technology solutions for remote patient monitoring and digital patient screenings and consultations. 

Albarah El-Khani, Senior Operations Officer at M42, emphasized the importance of patient consent and data security as priority considerations in their decision to store patient data locally through the use of a sovereign cloud. He explained that M42 was developed out of the local technology and artificial intelligence skills and know-how developed by G42’s digital enterprise, now called Core42. These platforms have been applied to healthcare through the new entity, which was formed by combining G42’s healthcare technology components and Mubadala Health. Albarah also emphasized opportunities for global partners to collaborate on M42 initiatives, especially in genomic data analysis and utilization. 

For questions about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s work in the healthcare sector, please contact Alyssa Kristeller at akristeller@usuaebusiness.org.