The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s healthcare and life sciences trade mission visited Dubai and Sharjah after concluding several days of impactful programming surrounding the inaugural Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week. While in Dubai and Sharjah, delegates from 25 American companies met with senior government officials at both the Federal and Emirate levels.  This trade delegation was certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce and received significant support from the U.S. Mission in the U.A.E.

During this part of the visit, the delegation met with the Director General of the Dubai Health Authority and Chairman of Sharjah Health Authority, as well as leadership from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), Emirates Health Services (EHS), Dubai Health, BEEAH Group, Dubai Future Foundation, and Dubai Science Park. 

H.E. Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and his leadership team briefed delegates on DHA’s policy and regulatory priorities aimed at advancing Dubai’s healthcare sector. During the meeting, senior DHA officials elaborated on Dubai Social Agenda 33, a healthcare strategy program aimed at supporting, protecting, empowering, and improving the quality of life of Dubai’s residents.  Delegates also learned about different investment opportunities in Dubai and explored ways they can work with the DHA team.
 
H.E. Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Obaid Bin Butti Almheiri, Chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), and his leadership team outlined SHA’s vision for Sharjah’s healthcare sector. His Excellency discussed SHA’s work on the Jawaher Boston Medical District project, and how it will bring world-class healthcare and research opportunities to Sharjah. His senior leadership team engaged in dialogue with delegates in which they explored opportunities for further bilateral cooperation.

Delegates met with H.E. Dr. Hussein Al Rand, the Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector for the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), to better understand MOHAP’s evolving role in promulgating and implementing federal healthcare policy for the U.A.E. Dr. Al Rand outlined the ways in which the MOHAP sets regulations and policies in the U.A.E., and outlined priority areas for future growth, such as AI implementation to support prevention strategies.

Dubai Health leaders Dr. Hanan Al Suwaidi, Chief Business Officer, and Atif Al Braiki, Chief Digital Officer, discussed  ways the organization is integrating care, learning, and discovery to shape the future of health in Dubai. The Dubai Health team shared with delegates its five-year plan for reimagining the patient journey through  programs to attract, develop, and retain healthcare personnel, enhance discovery, improve efficiency, leverage current capabilities, and develop a data strategy to support its mandate. Dubai Health is developing  innovation alliance programs in priority areas in partnership with international innovation hubs.

H.E. Dr. Essam Al Zarooni, Acting Executive Director of Clinical Services, and senior leaders from Emirates Health Services (EHS) discussed EHS’s role as the operational arm of healthcare provision in parts of Dubai and the Northern Emirates through a federally-administered program in collaboration with MOHAP. EHS officials offered delegates insights into current priority initiatives as well as goals for public and private healthcare entity collaborations.

Senior BEEAH Group officials, led by BEEAH Capital CEO Zouheir Sabra, briefed the delegation on the Group’s overall role in the U.A.E. and in the region as a leader in sustainability. They provided an overview of the Group’s goals for building a sustainable healthcare ecosystem in Sharjah. Delegates heard about the strategic partnerships that BEEAH has formed with U.S. healthcare organizations to build the Jawaher Boston Medical District, which will bring expertise from Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber, and the Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals to the Sharjah healthcare ecosystem. 

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) Deputy CEO Abdulaziz Al Jaziri and Executive Director Khalifa Al Qama discussed the future of innovation in Dubai’s healthcare and life sciences sector. Both leaders discussed DFF’s work in facilitating and administering regulatory sandboxes through the RegLab to develop a regulatory framework in Dubai that fosters and sparks new market innovation in the U.A.E. and fast-tracks the adoption of emerging technologies.  

At Dubai Science Park (DSP), delegates had the opportunity to hear about the medical and pharmaceutical research and development ecosystem that is based in this innovation freezone. Delegates also gained insights into how Dubai and specifically DSP are working to foster, incubate, and scale startups and innovators aimed at building a healthcare innovation ecosystem in Dubai. 

Like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah are emerging as global hubs in the healthcare and life sciences sector. For more information, please view the Business Council’s sector update on the U.A.E. Healthcare Sector here.

This concluded the delegates six-day trade mission to the U.A.E.

To learn more about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s programming in the healthcare and life sciences sector, please contact Adam Karadsheh at akaradsheh@usuaebusiness.org.