Dubai: Mental health, rehabilitation, urgent care, long-term care, MedTech (medical technology) start-ups, and population health management are among the priorities for investment until 2025, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced today.
The key focus areas were revealed in the latest Dubai Health Investment Guide for 2023 released by the DHA at the Arab Health trade show and conference being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
DHA said there will also be an added focus given on homecare this year. “It is a service we want to particularly tailor for the aging population, to provide them with care as well as regular timely follow-ups in the comfort of their homes.”
Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director-General of the DHA, said: “In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and as per the directions of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, we at the DHA, will continue to expand and develop the health sector with an aim of creating a dynamic, investment-friendly sector that provides both residents and medical tourists with easy access to the highest quality of patient-centered care across a wide range of medical specialties.”
Al Ketbi added: “The aim of DHA’s dedicated health investment arm is to evaluate investment opportunities, ensure high-quality healthcare investment, provide investors with support and guidance so that they can invest in areas of need and future demand, this benefits investors and ensures the health sector provides community members and medical tourists with high-quality care across multiple specialties.”
‘Ready Reckoner’
Dr. Ibtesam Bastaki, director of Healthcare Investment and PPP (Public Private Partnership) Projects at DHA, said: “The Dubai Health Investment Guide is a ready-reckoner for investors to understand healthcare investment opportunities across various specialties that are needed at present and in the future. It provides an overview of Dubai’s health sector, areas of demand, key drivers, and how to invest in Dubai.”
She added: “The aim of the Dubai Health Investment Guide 2023 is to provide investors with detailed information on key healthcare priority areas and to provide a detailed overview of the health sector so that they can make viable investments.”
Supply-demand overview
She said the Guide provides information on the demand for health services, supply, and capacity gaps to enable investments in strategic opportunities and specialized health services. “This helps enhance competencies of the overall healthcare sector in Dubai and increases awareness of the economic viability as well as helps attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and local investment.”
Dr. Al Bastaki said the focus this year will be also on getting FDI (foreign direct investment) into Dubai from healthcare industries around the world.
She said Dubai’s strategic location, investment-friendly climate, and growing population are key reasons that make the emirate a favorable investment destination. “Investment facilitation and ease of doing business have resulted in increased FDI inflows into the country.”
In 2021, the FDI inflows that Dubai attracted, as per Dubai’s Department of Economic Development, was $37.2 million in healthcare from countries such as the USA, India, the UK, France, Sweden, and Japan.
Dr. Al Bastaki said: “These are the key areas of focus for the next three to five years. In MedTech, we are keen on attracting MedTech start-ups and companies in medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. In terms of digital health, the aim is to empower patients with as much convenience as possible by providing them with telemedicine services as well as empowering them by providing them with access to their medical information and devices that will help them monitor their health on a daily basis.”
“The aim of DHA’s dedicated health investment arm is to evaluate investment opportunities, ensure high-quality healthcare investment, and provide investors with support and guidance so that they can invest in areas of need and future demand, this benefits investors and ensures the health sector provides community members and medical tourists with high-quality care across multiple specialities,” she added.
