Healthcare Guide 2018

A HEALTHY INVESTMENT • BE WELL, BE SUCCESSFUL 

GUIDE 2018 / HEALTHCARE 

DR THUMBAY 

MOIDEEN 

“I HAVE ALWAYS VIEWED 

SUCCESS AS THE IMPACT 

ONE HAS ON SOCIETY.” 

GUIDE 2018 

HEALTHCARE 

MACHINES AND 

MEDICINE: 

THE EVOLUTION 

OF HEALTH 

INVESTMENT 

A HEALTH 

ODYSSEY 

AS THE FOUNDER OF THE ICONIC THUMBAY GROUP 

PREPARES TO CELEBRATE HIS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, HE 

HAS NO INTENTION OF SLOWING DOWN. 

UAE ....................................AED 30 

68 FORBES MIDDLE EAST SAUDI ARABIA I GUIDE ................. 2018 SAR 30 

BAHRAIN ...........................BHD 3 

KUWAIT .........................KWD 2.5 

OMAN ............................... OMR 3 

OTHERS .................................... $8

67 FORBES MIDDLE EAST I GUIDE 2018

Contents 

Guide 2018 / Healthcare 

6 I Side Lines // Claudine Coletti 

Healthy Change 

LeaderBoard 

10 I Healthcare Billionaires In the GCC 

12 I Women Take The Lead In Health 

12 I GCC Residents Skirting GPs 

Thought Leaders 

10 

14 I Building A Strategy For Smart Hospitals 

By Dr Anees Fareed 

24 I Hooking Top Talent With Healthcare 

By Steve Clements 

36 I Behavioral Science Can Help Improve Health 

By Dr. Yahya Anouti 

54 I AI And Robotics Roadmap 

By Hamish Clark 

58 I Clinical Decision Support Systems In The Era Of AI 

By Dr Nader Elshehabi 

Investment 

16 I The Specialists 

Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of 

United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), has built a specialized healthcare 

network to rival global competitors. As families flock to the cutting-edge 

facilities, he’s getting ready to expand. 

By Claudine Coletti 

18 I A Healthy Investment 

Dr. Ibtesam AlBastaki, Director of Investment and Partnership at the 

Dubai Health Authority, is leading the way in working with local and 

international private and public stakeholders to grow the health sector 

and bring innovation to the forefront. 


20 I The Pros And Cons Of Privatising Gulf Healthcare 

By Dominic Dudley 

22 I Predictions For Healthcare Delivery In 2018 

By Vivek Shukla 

Pharma 

26 I Changing The Growth Paradigm In 

Pharmaceuticals 

By Dhiraj Joshi 

16 

30 I Tighter Compliance For Medical Manufacturers 

The power held by pharmaceutical and medical device companies is everincreasing 

as they deliver the products to save and prolong people’s lives. In 

the last five years global regulations have tightened to make sure that these 

companies are operating transparently for those that rely on them most— 

patients. The Middle East is now following suit. 


GUIDE 2018 I FORBES MIDDLE EAST 1

Contents 


Global Healthcare Billionaires 

40 

46 

Technology 

46 I On The Road To An Autonomous Future 

AI is being embraced across the world to speed up treatments and 

save lives, with many companies using intelligent algorithms to 

revolutionize our healthcare systems. 

By Dr. Sana Farid 

50 I Accuracy Matters 

Will robots and AI technology replace our surgeons in the future? 

Unlikely, but we’re happy they are around to guide them. 

By Inga Louisa Stevens 

52 I Mobile Medicine 

Telehealth tools are starting to bring our GPs to our telephones, and 

unsurprisingly it’s the start-up ecosystem leading the charge. 

By Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi 

Lifestyle 

56 I Be Well, Be Successful 

Making small changes to your routine can have a profound influence on 

energy levels and general health, which will naturally boost performance in 

the office. Nutrition and environment are two things to be aware of—but 

always consult a doctor regarding any diet or lifestyle changes. 

By Tim Garrett 

60 I Arming Children For A Healthier Future 

As the region continues to see rising numbers of lifestyle-related diseases 

such as diabetes and obesity, what more should we be doing to ensure that 

our bad habits are not passed on? 

By Dr Raza Siddiqui 

62 I Destination Healthcare 

The numbers of tourists travelling overseas for the sole purpose of obtaining 

healthcare treatment is rising, although it’s unclear how rapidly. The U.A.E. 

is determined to lead the market. 

By Subodh Panangatt 

56 

64 I Thoughts On Health 



Contents 


ON THE COVER 

32 I A HEALTH 

ODYSSEY 

Head of the iconic Thumbay Group, 

Dr. Thumbay Moideen, established the 

region’s first and only private medical 

university in Ajman two decades ago, 

followed by its first private teaching 

hospital. Today his network expands 

across 20 different sectors including 

real estate, wellness and hospitality. 

As he prepares to celebrate his 20th 

anniversary, the leader has no intention 

of slowing down. 

By Forbes Middle East 



SIDE LINES 

Dr. Nasser Bin Aqeel Al Tayyar 

President & Publisher 

nasser@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Khuloud Al Omian 

Editor-in-Chief Forbes Middle East 

CEO - Arab Publisher House 

khuloud@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Claudine Coletti 

Managing Editor - Special Editions 

claudine@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Mary Sophia 

Deputy Editor for Magazine 

mary@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Head of Creative: Soumer Al Daas 

Graphic Designers: Sally Hoteit, Kashif Baig 

Head of Sales: Krishna Natarajan 

krishna@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Senior Group Sales Manager: Ruth Pulkury 

ruth@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Sales Managers: 

Arif Abdul 

arif@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Karthik Krishnan 

karthik@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Mathew George 

mathew@forbesmiddleeast.com 

For KSA 

Sales Manager: Ghousuddin Rizwan Mohammed 

rizwan@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Sales Manager: Ahmed Gohar 

agohar@forbesmiddleeast.com 

Events Director: Nolie Papa 

Executive Assistant to CEO & Editor-In-Chief 

Kavya Pinto 

editorial@forbesmiddleeast.com 

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GUIDE 2018 / HEALTHCARE 

IN TOUCH WITH BUSINESS 

Forbes.ME 

forbesmiddleeast 

ForbesME 

Forbes Middle East 

Healthy Change 


Technology has changed our lives in innumerable ways, but arguably 

one of its biggest impacts has been on our awareness of and 

engagement with our health. My Fitbit vibrates to remind me to 

get up and walk around every hour—in another year it could be directly 

sharing information on my vital statistics and daily routine with my doctor 

and letting me know if I need to make an appointment, which could very 

well be carried out virtually. 

The digital evolution of healthcare is a running theme in our special 

edition on healthcare for 2018, with AI and robotics entering the Middle 

East’s clinics and theatres. Research suggests that patients are ready for this 

change, the question is whether regulation can keep up. 

Growth in the industry overall doesn’t look to be slowing down. With 

an ever-expanding population, new clinics, hospitals and government 

initiatives designed to improve awareness and patient experience are 

popping up throughout the region. As the youth embrace healthier lifestyles 

assisted by their apps and wearable devices, the older population are 

increasingly suffering from the effects of their own lifestyle choices, with 

the number of people admitted with diabetes and cardiovascular problems 

in the region still worryingly high. To meet this challenge and provide highquality 

services, public and private investment must also increase. 

The issues explored in this edition were also discussed at Forbes Middle 

East’s first healthcare event on March 31 in Healthcare City. Providing a 

platform for debate, knowledge-sharing and networking, we delved into 

one of the region’s fastest growing and most lucrative sectors, with a specific 

focus on future investment, challenges in pharma and ongoing innovation. 

We brought together leaders of healthcare investment groups, major 

hospital chains, trade associations and medical device manufacturers, as 

well as government representatives, for these important conversations. 

Being at the forefront of change is part of what we do at Forbes Middle 

East—looking ahead and there’s a lot more to come. 



Forbes Middle East is published 

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and licensed by Forbes LLC. 

Some of the content published in this issue is 

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All rights reserved (2015). 

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LeaderBoard 

BILLIONAIRES 

HEALTHCARE 

BILLIONAIRES IN THE GCC 

OUT OF THE 2,208 BILLIONAIRES WORLD-WIDE in Forbes’ Billionaire rankings, B.R. Shetty and 

Shamsheer Vayalil made their fortune through GCC ventures in the healthcare industry. Both Shetty and Vayalil 

also featured on Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 Indian Business Leaders in the Arab World 2017. 

B. R. Shetty 

$4 billion 

• Former pharma salesman B.R. Shetty emigrated from Karnataka, 

India to Abu Dhabi in 1972 before establishing his healthcare 

empire. 

• His biggest asset is London-listed NMC Health, one of the 

U.A.E.’s largest hospital chains. 

• Shetty’s other interests include generics firm Neopharma as well 

as money remittance firms UAE Exchange and Travelex Group. 

• Shetty is pouring money back home, investing $1.8 billion in the 

state of Andhra Pradesh for projects in healthcare, hospitality and 

education. 

Did you know? 

Shetty owns the entire 100th floor of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the 

world’s tallest skyscraper. 

Shamsheer Vayalil 

$1.5 billion 

• Shamsheer Vayalil, son-in-law of Gulf retailing billionaire M.A. 

Yusuff Ali, founded VPS Healthcare, a network of hospitals, 

clinics and pharmacies. 

• Born into a business family in Kerala, India he migrated to the 

Middle East after his medical studies and worked as a radiologist 

at a local hospital. 

• Backed initially by his wealthy father-in-law, Vayalil started with 

one hospital in Abu Dhabi in 2007. 

• VPS also owns the Rockland Hospital chain in Delhi and the 

VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi. 

Did you know? 

Vayalil recently signed the Giving Pledge. He owns a Gulfstream 

G450 Aircraft priced between $38 million to $43million. 


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LeaderBoard 

FEM-TECH 

Women Take The 

Lead In Health 

In a report issued to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8th 

March, consultants Frost & Sullivan revealed that female technology 

(that’s any diagnostics, software, products and services that uses digital 

technology to improve women’s health) could be the next disrupter in 

healthcare, with a global market potential of $50 billion by 2025. 

90% influencers 

of women are the primary 

healthcare decision makers 

for their family and key 

for friends. 

66% 75% than 

of female internet 

users look online for 

healthcare information. 

Women are 

80% 29% 

more likely to 

use digital tools 

for healthcare 

men. 

of household healthcare 

spending is done by 

women. Working-age 

women spend 

50% elderly 

more per capita on 

healthcare compared 

to males in the same 

age group. 

of global healthcare customers 

are women and they are the 

primary care givers for the 

and children. 

SPECIALIST WINS 

GCC Residents 

Skirting GPs 

According to a recent survey by Arab Health 2018, 

41% of GCC residents go directly to a specialist 

when they fall ill, as opposed to visiting a general 

practitioner (GP) or family doctor. 

Looking at the U.A.E. in particular, 50% of Emirati 

nationals surveyed said they do not go directly 

to a specialist without consulting with a GP, with 

33% opting to visit a specialist when they are ill. 

In comparison, around 36% of expat respondents 

said that they do not visit a GP when sick, with 28% 

going directly to a specialist. 

Arab Health also found that 45% of GCC residents 

monitor their health through wearable technology, 

such as fitness trackers or smart watches, and 49% 

of respondents believe that 3D printing of organs 

or limbs is an effective way to save lives. 

BY WAVEBREAKMEDIA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 


FORBES MIDDLE EAST // MOUNT LEBANON HOSPITAL 

The Booming Art of 

Plastic Surgery 

Dr Antoine Abi Abboud is one of Lebanon’s most renowned plastic surgeons, with a residence 

as head of plastic surgery in Mount Lebanon Hospital. Here he speaks about the impact of 

technology on the industry and the challenges being faced. 

Why did you first decide to become a plastic 

surgeon? How has the industry changed since you 

started practicing? 

Since I was a child, I have always dreamt of being a 

doctor. With time, during my first two years in medical 

school, plastic surgery and mainly reconstructive 

surgery became my goal. I loved geometry, physics, 

arts and above all beauty, and there is a bit of each in 

plastic surgery. 

A lot of things changed during my residency, for 

example when I started specialty in plastic surgery, 

botulinum toxins and fillers did not exist yet. Many 

things have changed, but many things and techniques 

remain the same. 

What impact are technology and robotics having on 

the field of plastic surgery? 

Technology has had a big impact on our profession. 

The botulinum toxin as well as hyaluronic acid are two 

great examples of product manufacturing. There have 

been great developments in liposuction techniques 

with vibro-liposuction, vaser and laser liposuctions. Let’s also 

not forget also the paramedical technology using machines 

related to sliming, treating the skin and tightening the body. 

Recently cryotherapy, hair restoration techniques and laser 

technologies are booming. 

Robotics are to be tested for the near future. 

What are the most in demand aesthetic procedures? 

Currently, in the Middle East and the rest of the world, botox 

injections rank number one among aesthetic procedures. 

If we want to talk about surgeries however, number one is 

liposuction—we use this technique in almost any plastic 

surgery we perform—followed by rhinoplasty. 

Third is breast implants, and in the same vein as body 

procedures is body lifting following massive weight loss, which 

is a consequence of the development of the high demand in 

weight-loss surgical techniques. 

What are some of the key challenges currently faced by 

plastic surgeons? 

The growth in the beauty market has created a lot of challenging 

Dr Antoine 

Abi Abboud 

areas for the plastic surgeon as it allows or stimulates the 

appetite of other less-qualified medical or non-medical 

specialties and leads to higher rates of possible complications 

related to misuse by non-specialists or intruders. 

Our specialty needs a lot of motivation, hard work and 

patience to succeed, as well as continuous medical updates. 

Plastic surgeons trust their hands more than any other tool. 

Most of the techniques we currently use have always been used 

in the same way, with some refinements every now and then. 

Do you think that cosmetic surgery is still a taboo subject or 

has it gone mainstream? 

Cosmetic surgery nowadays is no longer a taboo, even in 

the Middle East and Arab countries. Access to these kinds of 

surgery is nowadays so easy and can correspond to the rise in 

demand for cosmetic surgery in these areas. 

What are your future plans for your business? 

We will be moving to a new state-of-the-art clinic in Achrafieh, 

at the heart of Beirut, from June 2018, while keeping up our 

monthly visits to Dubai. 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE THOUGHT LEADER 

Building A Strategy 

For Smart Hospitals 

What’s a smart hospital? It is better 

patient experience and improved 

efficiency for services and care 

processes that ensures seamless flow and access 

to relevant information for both healthcare 

providers and patients. 

As of today that world is just a click away. 

In the era where adoption of smart technologies 

such as mobile applications, tablet PCs and 

wearables in healthcare seem to be the new norm 

and investments in digital infrastructure and 

connecting devices are on the surge, this dream 

of a smart hospital is no longer distant. However, 

every hospital aspiring to become smart needs to 

know how to plan well ahead and build strategy, 

carefully select and implement available smart 

technologies and transform healthcare delivery 

processes to meet the key objectives of a smart 

hospital. These are: ensuring seamless patient 

flow; improved clinical processes and ability; 

offering remote patient care; access to the right 

information for the right people at the right time 

from anywhere; and enhanced patient safety. 

Improving Patient Experience 

Using smart technologies for a better patient 

experience begins well before the patient arrives 

in the hospital by using smart mobile applications 

and patient portals, allowing patients to provide 

and update required personal information, 

insurance details and relevant clinical history, 

including lab reports and allergies. Patients 

will also be able to search for apt physicians, 

view their credentials, make bookings, 

receive reminders, and cancel or reschedule 

appointments. 

Smart parking apps will enable them to locate 

vacant parking spaces, with the facility to book 

and pay, helping patients escape the tedious task 

of finding vacant parking lots. Patient kiosks 

integrated with a queue management system 

will enable patients to not just self-check-in with 

a smartcard and get token numbers, but also 

receive location directions to departments or 

procedure rooms where they have appointments. 

Registration desks equipped with eSignature pads 

and payment machines would help them read 

and sign on required consent forms and would 

make advance payments for services. At the time 

of admission, the patients would be tagged with 

an electronic wristband that allows doctors and 

nurses to track their vital signs, medication times 

and sleep patterns remotely and receive alerts if 

anything is abnormal to take necessary actions. 

Patient rooms can be equipped with a 

large, flat screen monitor that will not only 

offer entertainment such as TV, video games, 

or internet, but also patient education content 

and instructions about their health condition 

or a pending procedure. They will also be able 

to access dietary services, order their meal and 

receive reminders about upcoming appointments. 

A smart digital screen in front of the room 

could display vital information about the patient 

including care provider name and allergies if any. 

Improving Care Processes and Support 

Services 

A well-integrated Electronic Medical Record 

(EMR) connected to medical devices, point 

of care devices and investigation equipment 

could be automated, documenting clinical 

data including physiological parameters, 

investigation reports, images and videos and 

make it accessible through a single source. 

This will allow the care providers to access 

information relevant to patient care at the right 

time from anywhere in the hospital network. 

The use of RFID and barcode-assisted blood 

transfusion and drug administration, smart 

infusion pumps that can document infusion 

details and robotic drug dispensing machines 

and lab instruments are a few other examples of 

smart technology applications that can not only 

improve patient safety but also enhance clinical 

processes efficiency. 

DR ANEES FAREED, CHIEF MEDICAL INFORMATION OFFICER AT THE AL JALILA CHILDREN’S SPECIALTY HOSPITAL, DUBAI AND TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIST 

FOR CERNER ITWORKS 


To get maximum benefit from 

technology, hospitals need 

to develop smart strategies 

about how to use it. 

FORBES MIDDLE EAST / RAJA 

Building a Smart Strategy 

A well-thought-out smart hospital strategy should be directed 

towards building or transforming the hospital into a facility 

that will provide excellence in clinical outcomes, efficiency in 

operations and enhancement of patient experience. 

Building a smart hospital strategy is more than just 

bringing together smart devices and applications connected to 

high-speed networking infrastructure. The strategy should also 

aim to redefine the care processes and operational procedures, 

and redesign physical infrastructure to drive a new way of 

delivering care. 

Smart hospitals require a complete revisit of how different 

patient services are offered within the hospital. For example, 

building patient rooms equipped with patient infotainment 

systems redefines how information related to patients’ 

conditions, procedures, medications and treatments are 

disseminated to them in addition to providing entertainment. 

Investing in Kiosks and patient portals redefine how patients 

are being registered, checked in and make payments, which 

enhances operational efficiency and patient experience 

The patient care delivery process is another area that 

needs to be re-designed to meet smart hospital requirements. 

Healthcare mobile applications, sensors and wearable 

monitoring and communication devices are transforming the 

way patients interact with providers. These smart applications 

and devices can shift some of the care processes beyond 

hospital settings, either at satellite health centers or even at a 

patient’s home. While surgical robots improve the accuracy and 

efficiency of procedures, certain new treatment methods such 

as micro-surgeries are available now, which cannot be done 

by clinicians. Multispecialty team-based care models across 

hospitals are now easier, with the ability to share and monitor 

patient information and stream images and videos. 

The design of logistics and support services workflow should 

be considered along with the availability of smart technologies, 

such as RFID and secured wireless networks, which can be used 

to identify, track and report on locations and the utilization of 

hospital resources. Robotics in pharmacies and laboratories that 

automate the majority of the workflow processes requires design 

as well as physical infrastructure. These technologies transform 

the way logistics and support services are managed while 

minimizing waste and reducing cost. 

Smart hospitals should also give adequate focus on people 

management, training and adoption to take full advantage of 

digital capabilities and smart technologies. Leaders must think 

through how the smart hospital transformation will affect 

management systems, governance and technical competencies 

among its people. A solid governance model that facilitates 

collaboration between technical and clinical staff is required 

for the successful implementation of smart technologies and to 

achieve a smart hospital vision. 

It’s not just technology that builds a smart hospital; the 

right strategy demands us to get a bit smarter in how we 

implement it. 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE INVESTMENT 

The 

Specialists 

Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Managing 

Director and CEO of United Eastern Medical Services 

(UEMedical), has built a specialized healthcare network 

to rival global competitors. As families flock to the 

cutting-edge facilities, he’s getting ready to expand. 


When Mohammed 

Ali Al Shorafa Al 

Hammadi, Managing 

Director and CEO 

of UEMedical, first established the 

healthcare investment group in 2006, 

it was to develop a 50-bed boutique 

maternity facility—set at the time 

to be Abu Dhabi’s first privatelyowned 

speciality hospital. Designed 

to offer an international-standard 

patient experience, it was already 

an ambitious project. However, 

things soon escalated when Al 

Shorafa decided to take things to 

the next level. “Sheikh Mohammad 

has aspirations. He always wants 

to develop new things and to start 

where the rest of the world has 

stopped,” he explains. 

Al Shorafa scrapped his original 

plans, resolving instead to develop a 

totally specialized facility for women’s 

and children’s services. The concept 

was new, but timely. In a market 

saturated with general hospitals 

and multi-specialty centers, the 

government at the time was seeing 

many patients leaving the emirates to 

seek out the highest-quality services 

and treatments. It was costing 

them money. It was time to create 

something locally that could compete 

with international standards and offer 

families a home-grown alternative. 

The new vision was “a whole new 

ball game” Al Shorafa admits. He and 

his team went back to the drawing 

board. Having previously worked 

for nine years at the Abu Dhabi 

Investment Authority (ADIA) before 

entering healthcare development, 

the Managing Director and CEO 

was already well-versed in strategic 

game-plans. He put wheels in motion 

to analyze the market intensely 

for gaps and identify real patient’s 

needs, travelling across Europe, Asia 

and North America to bring in the 

best clinical partners, doctors and 

designers. Despite being in the throes 

of the financial crisis, shareholders 

held their ground. The result was a 

final blueprint for the slick and eyecatching 

Danat Al Emarat Hospital 

for women and children—a 150-bed 

IMAGE FROM SOURCE 



facility at Abu Dhabi Gate 

City—representing an 

overall investment of nearly 

$205 million. 

As ground was broken in 

2011, Al Shorafa continued 

to explore ways to offer 

linked lines of service. With 

the hospital not due to open 

its doors for another four 

years, he had no intention 

of sitting back and waiting. 

He decided to start on the 

next logical step—a network 

of specialized out-patient 

centers. 

In 2009, UEMedical 

launched its HealthPlus 

brand, opening its first 

women’s health center 

offering obstetrics and 

gynecological treatments, as 

Danat Al Emarat Hospital for 

women and children, Abu Dhabi 

well as fetal medicine. Next to open in 2010 was the HealthPlus 

IVF and fertility center, the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi. 

Starting as a 600 square meter facility performing 500 cycles 

per year in 2010, today the center covers 2,000 square meters 

following two expansions and undertook almost 3,000 IVF 

cycles in 2017. 

The following year HealthPlus opened a family center at 

Al Bandar, designed mainly to cater for communities outside 

of Abu Dhabi island, encompassing a large expat population, 

with another opening in AlForsan Village earlier this year. 

In 2013 came a center focused on diabetes management and 

endocrinology, incorporating podiatrist, nutritionist and 

cardiologist services, followed by a children’s center focusing on 

focusing on pediatrics sub-specialities. 

Then, in 2015, came a joint venture between Al Shorafa 

and one of the U.K.’s leading institutions—Moorfield’s Eye 

Hospital. Having had a presence in Dubai for nine years, the 

NHS Foundation Trust hospital expanded into Abu Dhabi in 

partnership with UEMedical, with the NHS unusually retaining 

a 49% share of the facility and the investment group controlling 

a 51% stake. In October of that same year, Danat Emarat 

welcomed its first patient—today the hospital has over 46,000 

registered patients. 

In total UEMedical has so far invested nearly $60 million 

into its HealthPlus network, expanding into Dubai in March 

2018 and into Saudi Arabia, with its first IVF center in Jeddah 

due to open before the end of the year. Since being established 

the network has had over 600,000 patient encounters, with 

80,000 registered users. 

Each facility operates both individually and as a unique 

piece of a greater whole. Using a single integrated electronic 

platform to hold and share patient records, those seeking 

treatment are able to move across the network seamlessly. If 

you are at HealthPlus Children’s Center and your child needs 

specialist treatment, they 

can be transferred to Danat 

Al Emarat Hospital. If 

a couple is identified at 

Danat Al Emarat as having 

fertility problems, they can 

be instantly referred to one 

of the HealthPlus Fertility 

Centers. 

The model of complete 

yet specialized care has 

been embraced by a diverse 

population. According to 

Al Shorafa, 90% of patients 

at the Al Bandar family 

center are western expats. 

“Westerners understand the 

model of family physicians,” 

he says. Elsewhere most 

centers are seeing a 50/50 

split between expat and local 

patients, with roughly 40% 

of Danat Emarat’s patients coming from a western background. 

Development of the network has been greatly helped 

along by the Department of Health and other governmental 

authorities in Abu Dhabi. “Without their support, it wouldn’t be 

easy to invest in the sector,” says Al Shorafa. “A lot of regulations 

come along when licensing the facilities or the healthcare 

providers. We operate in line with the Department of Health’s 

vision to create and improve the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi 

and the region; securing medical excellence and ensuring that 

quality accessible care is delivered to the community.” 

Looking ahead at Al Shorafa’s five-year plan and the key 

word is expansion, albeit with an emphasis on the U.A.E., 

Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The company is currently exploring 

opportunities in Riyadh and has recently signed a contract to 

acquire a majority stake in one of Dubai’s biggest IVF clinics. 

Al Shorafa is also in talks to form a “strategic relationship” in 

Egypt, one that will allow the company to tap into a large and 

developing market as it recovers from turmoil. UEMedical plans 

to invest nearly $550 million into the healthcare sector by 2023. 

Al Shorafa is clearly proud of the success and expansion 

of his speciality dream, but growth and investment alone is 

not what drives him. As well as leading his business he holds 

positions on multiple boards, such as the UAE-UK Business 

Council and U.P.I, Baniyas Concrete. He also chairs the 

Healthcare Working Group at the UAE-UK Business Council 

and is vice chairman of United Eastern Group (UEG) and Gulf 

Contractors Company. 

Despite having an influence across different sectors, he 

devotes most of his time to healthcare, and that will continue 

for the foreseeable future. The specialty has a special place in his 

heart. “I have a lot of other family businesses, but I give my time 

to medical because I have been through the agony of a father 

when his wife delivers,” he explains. “The passion comes from 

seeing infront of you what you’ve actually dreamed of.” 



A Healthy 

Investment 

Dr. Ibtesam AlBastaki, Director of Investment and 

Partnership at the Dubai Health Authority, is leading 

the way in working with local and international 

private and public stakeholders to grow the health 

sector and bring innovation to the forefront. 


The GCC healthcare sector is set to continuing booming 

in the next 2-3 years—what should the focus be on to meet 

demand? 

It is clearly an exciting time for the private health sector given 

the rise in demand for health services. The key focus should 

be to develop and support a sustainable and integrated health 

system in the GCC countries, with the private healthcare 

facilities collaborating closely with public health facilities and 

Payers to focus on quality, complementary services, post-acute 

care and specialized care. This includes rehabilitation services 

and disease-management programs for patients. 

How affordable and accessible do you think healthcare is in 

Dubai? 

Dubai has seen an increase in healthcare services that serve 

different segments and income classes. With the rollout and 

implementation of mandatory health insurance the aim has 

been to ensure that affordable health services are available for 

the lower income segments within Dubai’s population. 

We are currently doing an extensive capacity planning 

exercise, which will detail the current and future demand for 

health services vs the supply, and list gaps across geographic 

catchment areas in outpatient and inpatient services. 

The publishing of the Dubai Health Investment Guide is 

aimed at driving investment to fill the gaps in health services 

and supporting investors with the right information and data 

looking ahead to the next 10-12 years. 

Is there enough being invested in the development and 

implementation of MedTech? 

We anticipate the growth of MedTech in Dubai building on the 

rise in demand for health services and the continued growth 

and development of the private health services. We hope to 

support the growth of MedTech in Dubai, working closely in 

collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Dubai Science Park 

and other government stakeholders. 

Dubai’s leadership is forward thinking, and very supportive 

and encouraging of initiatives and investments in health 

innovation and technology. We want to be at the forefront 

(and at times ahead) of some of the disruptions in medical 

technology that can change and shape the health systems of the 

future. At the same time, we have to ensure that the interests of 

patients are protected and that the initiatives implemented are 

evidence-based. 

How are Public-Private-Partnerships helping to bring in 

investment? 

We are currently evaluating PPP models as an option for 

greenfield projects, as well as for some of the existing services 

being operated by DHA within Dubai’s healthcare sector. At 

this stage, it is early days, but we aim to work with the best-inclass 

healthcare providers, as well as specialized facilities, to 

enable win-win partnerships for the government and private 

sector partners. 

We are working closely with private hospitals on various 

initiatives and we welcome each of them to participate in PPP 

projects, should they meet the requirements. The projects we 

are working on are aimed at improving efficiencies and getting 

better clinical outcomes. Also attracting, training and retaining 

high-caliber clinical talent and implementing innovations in 

model of care, as well as reducing costs to the government 

budget in the long term. 

Over your 20-year career you have worked in the private 

sector and held senior leadership positions as an Emirati in 

the health sector—why did you move back to government? 

Working in the government gives me the opportunity to invest 

my energy and efforts into having the maximum impact on 



society and helping improve the health system. This for me 

is really important. I have been a physician and practiced 

medicine in the U.A.E., so I understand the challenges and 

opportunities in our health system, especially given the 

significant progress we’ve made over the over past few decades. 

This current role with DHA also enables me to bring onboard 

and create a platform for the public and private health sectors 

to work together and harness the best capabilities across both 

sectors. This will help us develop a more efficient, cohesive and 

collaborative health system for Dubai and its patient population. 

What are your key goals at DHA? How do you define and 

approach potential investors? 

We work with private sector providers and investors through 

structured workshops and engagement sessions, as well as direct 

meetings and dialogue to support specific mandates. 

The following are the objectives of the Dubai Investment 

Strategy 2017-20, which I lead, and I’m very focused on 

implementing these over the next few years: 

• Enhance the competitiveness of the health sector in Dubai 

through enabling legislation to support investments and 

policies to optimize capacity and publish health investment 

guidance for investors. 

• Increase awareness on the economic viability of Dubai’s 

health sector and attract FDI and local investments. 

• Channel investments to address current gaps and future 

opportunities within the health sector that align with the 

Dubai Health Strategy 2016-21 priorities, while producing 

optimal returns. 

• Develop the needed apparatus to provide a sustainable 

public-private investment model to enable and facilitate 

future investment activity within Dubai’s health sector. 

How much interest is there internationally for investing in 

Dubai’s healthcare sector? 

We are seeing a great amount of interest and willingness to 

participate in Dubai’s health sector. This is coming not just 

from healthcare providers, but also MedTech majors, private 

equity firms, health investment funds, medical equipment 

providers, construction and facilities management firms, as well 

as healthcare startups and innovative companies (mainly in 

telehealth and preventative care) in different parts of the world. 

Sometimes they aim to approach the market directly, and 

at times it is through partnerships with local JVs or investors 

in the U.A.E. We welcome all participation to the extent that it 

enables us to develop a sustainable health system which serves 

the interest of the patients and allows us to deliver high quality, 

efficient services to patients. 


Right Price For 

The Blue Collar 

In January 2018, investment group Foundation 

Holdings launched Right Health, the U.A.E.’s 

latest healthcare provider for low-income 

workers, having previously acquired and 

integrated 31 different medical providers across 

Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain for 

an undisclosed sum. 

The new organization aims to provide 

affordable care to the large community 

of workers in the U.A.E. earning less than 

AED9,200 per month. According to Right Health’s 

Chief Impact Officer, Shainoor Khoja, an estimated 

54% of the U.A.E.’s total workforce currently falls 

into this segment, which by 2022 will represent five 

million people, with a market value of more than 

$1.2 billion. 

“This segment has historically lacked investment 

and has suffered from fragmentation,” Khoja says. 

“The implementation of mandatory insurance 

means that a large proportion of workers will 

now have the ability to access quality, affordable 

healthcare. The time for a large-scale provider is 

now here.” 

In the next five years, Right Health plans to invest 

over $136 million to expand its reach to 56 centers, 

serving over a million patients a year. Compared to 

some city hospitals in the U.A.E. where an average 

outpatient consultation can cost from AED400-500, 

at Right Health it costs from AED35-50. 



The Pros And Cons Of 

Privatising Gulf Healthcare 

Private sector health provision is increasingly prevalent in the 

GCC, easing the cost burden on the state. But governments 

cannot rely on private companies to provide for all their 

healthcare needs. 

By Dominic Dudley 

The NMC Royal 

in Khalifa City, 

Abu Dhabi will be 

one of the largest 

hospitals in the 

region 

From the 1,171-bed Al-Jahra Hospital, 

which is close to completion in Kuwait 

City, to the planned 700-bed New Sultan 

Qaboos Hospital in Salalah, Oman at the 

opposite end of the GCC, huge sums are being 

poured into Gulf hospitals to improve service 

provision. 

Healthcare is often one of the biggest items 

in any Gulf government’s budget. Riyadh, for 

example, has earmarked $39.2 billion for health 

and social development this year, the third largest 

part of its budget after defence and education. 

In Saudi Arabia, as in the rest of the region, 

health spending has traditionally been dominated 

by the public sector, with governments 

accounting for 65-84% of expenditure in various 

countries, according to consultants EY. That 

is much higher than in some 

developed economies such as the 

U.S. where it is 47% or Singapore 

where it is 41%. However, the 

landscape is changing and GCC 

governments’ share of total 

healthcare spending is expected to 

fall in the coming years. 

Hospital projects are a 

major part of the region’s capital 

spending programme. There are 

682 active healthcare projects in 

the GCC, with a total value of 

$57 billion as of February 2018, 

according to construction analysts 

BNC Network. That includes 433 active hospital 

projects worth a combined $48 billion. There 

has been a dip in activity over the past year but 

Avin Gidwani, chief executive of BNC Network, 

says this may be a blip rather than a longer-term 

trend. 

“In 2016 there were $65 billion worth of 

awards. In 2017 it was $35 billion, so there was 

a slowdown last year,” he says. “We expect that 

to continue for at least the first half of this year, 

maybe a bit longer, and then we’d expect to see 

a pick-up again. There are a large number of 

projects in the concept and design stages that 

have just been on hold.” 

If and when the market does accelerate, a 

growing proportion of the spending could come 

IMAGE COURTESY OF NMC ROYAL 


from the private sector rather than the public purse. There are a 

few good reasons for this. Populations are continuing to expand 

but oil revenues remain too low to balance governments’ 

budgets, creating an incentive to cut costs where possible. 

Among the areas that could be targeted are domestic healthcare 

spending and the long-standing habit of sending patients 

abroad for specialist (and often expensive) treatment. In both 

cases, cuts will create room for the private sector to step in. 

Already, the rollout of mandatory private health insurance 

in some countries such as the U.A.E. is pushing some of the cost 

of healthcare away from the government and onto employers 

and consumers. Private firms are also building and operating 

more healthcare facilities, allowing states to reduce their capital 

budgets. Those involved include local players such as the 

U.A.E.’s NMC Healthcare and major international firms such as 

South Africa’s Mediclinic International and Austria’s Vamed. 

Private firms find the market an attractive prospect for 

several reasons, including growing demand for services that are 

often non-discretionary. While the region does have a young 

population, the average age of locals is steadily rising and some 

prevalent diseases linked to poor lifestyle—such as diabetes, 

hypertension and obesity—afflict young and old alike. 

“The surge in demand is mostly driven by the needs of 

GCC nationals who are rising in number, getting older and 

Hospital projects are a major part 

of the region’s capital spending 

programme. There are 682 active 

healthcare projects in the GCC, 

with a total value of $57 billion as 

of February 2018 

increasingly suffering from lifestyle conditions,” says Yaser 

Moustafa, senior managing director at NBK Capital Partners, 

which has invested in a general hospital in Kuwait among other 

things. “Add to that the desire by GCC governments to curtail 

spending on healthcare provision abroad and the rate of growth 

becomes much higher. When we look at supply we see there is 

still a gap relative to other geographies and, more importantly, 

quality is not being delivered at the right cost structure in an 

efficient manner.” 

As he suggests, a key motivation of governments is to find 

a way to provide more efficient, cost-effective services. One 

answer that many authorities have hit upon is to develop new 

hospitals and other facilities through public-private partnership 

(PPP) models. The rate of development differs from country to 

country though, with the U.A.E. leading the way, Kuwait the 

slowest-moving and the others at points in between. 

Alongside that, there has also been an attempt to use the 

healthcare sector as a way to diversify economies by developing 

the market for medical tourism, enticing patients in from abroad 

for treatment. “They’re trying to create a niche for medical 

tourism and to some degree that’s what driving some of the 

glitzier investments with the five-star hospitals,” says Gidwani. 

Overall, the changes underway are starting to amount to a 

fundamental shift in the role governments play in healthcare, 

moving from being both a provider and regulator of services 

to a situation where they focus on the latter. The U.A.E. is in 

the leading position in this regard, but it is happening to some 

extent in most countries. 

“Traditionally the public sector in the GCC has operated as 

well as regulated healthcare services,” says Ahmed Faiyaz, an 

adviser on health investments at the Dubai Health Authority. 

“However, in recent years with reforms and initiatives taken in 

the U.A.E.—which leads the way—efforts are being made for 

the public sector to be the regulator, oversee the performance 

of health facilities and services and increasingly let the private 

sector provide healthcare services.” 

Not everyone is necessarily well served by the changes. 

While nationals and better-paid expatriate workers continue to 

have access to good services, those at the lower end of the pay 

scale can fare less well, particularly if their employer only pays 

for a basic level of insurance cover. 

There are other potential gaps in private 

sector provision too. Not all types of healthcare 

are profitable and some areas will inevitably be of 

less interest to profit-maximising companies. The 

reality is that private investment tends to be focused 

on areas where there is both strong demand and 

where patients’ bills can be readily settled, either by 

insurance companies or governments. The state will 

have to continue being the main provider in other 

areas. 

“There has been a shift from general hospitals 

to models based more on service-focused centres 

of excellence, where you’ll have an orthopaedic 

hospital or a maternity hospital. When that happens, 

governments will still need to step in to ensure that 

healthcare services are still offered across the portfolio, across 

therapeutic areas,” says Hanu Tyagi, research analyst at the Max 

Institute of Healthcare Management at the Indian School of 

Business and a former healthcare consultant in the GCC. 

Despite the enthusiasm governments increasingly have for 

private sector involvement in their healthcare systems, it seems 

likely that the state will have to continue picking up some large 

hospital bills in the future. But the trend towards privatisation 

seems likely to continue and indeed could yet accelerate in some 

markets such as Saudi Arabia, where inward investment agency 

Sagia says spending is likely to total $180 billion over the next 

five years. 

“Future investments in the sector will be heavily dependent 

on the direction and pace of privatisation within the GCC, and 

especially in Saudi Arabia,” says Dr Sven-Olaf Vathje, a partner 

at consultancy firm Oliver Wyman. “The next 12 months will be 

telling as these plans should become more crystallized.” 



Predictions For 

Healthcare Delivery In 2018 

By Vivek Shukla, Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences at Frost & Sullivan 

Each year brings with it fresh beginnings. We look at the 

incoming 12-months with optimism and hope. We did 

that in 2017 and the healthcare delivery space evolved 

with many firsts for the GCC. This year too, we expect 

exciting developments at both the macro and industry levels, 

with many factors impacting trends. The overall healthcare 

delivery eco system will evolve briskly in each of the GCC 

countries. 

Impact of Oil Prices 

Interestingly, we have seen that the overall healthcare industry 

is agnostic to the changes in oil prices. Over the years, 

healthcare expenditure has increased steadily irrespective of 

oil price changes. Despite the sharp dip in oil prices in 2015, 

healthcare expenses in 2016 and 2017 kept increasing and are 

set to do so again in 2018, although household consumption 

has decreased by 3%. 

Demographic Changes 

The composition of the population is undergoing a subtle 

but decisive change. Various demographic studies highlight 

the increasing number of people in older age groups causing 

healthcare needs to undergo a shift. Increased burden of 

chronic ailments and age-related medical conditions will call 

for more aggressive measures by providers and governments 

this year. The advent of exclusive Lifestyle Disease Clinics in 

the region is a real possibility. If providers get the model right 

and involve the payers too, this will have a positive impact and 

also be a viable proposition. 

Costs 

Companies have been under pressure to optimize cost drivers 

over the last couple of years. This pressure may threaten to 

slow the roll out of compulsory insurance in some GCC 

countries. However, as there may be another, slightly more 

powerful force in the direction of making healthcare affordable 

to everyone, mandatory insurance will need to be eventually 

rolled out. 

Organizations in the regions where insurance is already 

mandatory will start looking to reduce healthcare costs. Some 

IMAGE COURTESY OF THUMBAY HOSPITAL 

PHOTOGRAPH: FORBES MIDDLE EAST / RAJA 


may opt for more cost-effective policies, some will introduce 

wellness and preventive programmes and some will do both. We 

have already witnessed a few insurance companies and TPAs 

introducing their own version of wellness programmes for their 

clients in the U.A.E. 

Public Private Partnerships 

As governments look to optimize healthcare costs, increased 

opportunities for private healthcare providers to participate 

alongside governments in 2018 will arise. KSA has embedded 

PPP as a vital part of its National Transformation Plan. The 

Government of Dubai proposed a new PPP law in 2016, which 

can take further shape this year. The Government of Oman is 

planning to develop one of its key projects—the development 

of Sultan Qaboos Medical City—on the PPP model due to 

several delays. Overall, there will be avenues for providers, 

technology companies and payers to collaborate innovatively 

with governments in 2018 to share healthcare costs. 

Insurance Penetration 

Market pressures will eventually facilitate the roll out 

of compulsory insurance schemes in various countries. 

Nations where it has already been rolled out will see further 

consolidation in terms of people selecting the policies more 

carefully based on cost and coverage tradeoffs. All of this will 

culminate in an overall surge in demand for healthcare services. 

This means the card holder will look for higher-end services like 

cardiac procedures, oncology treatment and other modalities 

within the network of this card coverage. 

Among providers that sense the opportunity, there will 

be some early movers into tertiary level care. We have started 

seeing hospitals announcing cadaver organ harvesting and 

transplant programmes. The region has also already witnessed 

its initial share of robotic surgeries in almost all GCC countries. 

This phenomenon will lead to a skilled manpower 

requirement for additional procedures. The region will see an 

inflow of more consultant-level doctors. There is also a strong 

likelihood for ingenious up-skilling centres for the existing pool 

of doctors, technicians and paramedics. 

From a healthcare provider point of view, cost structures 

will be under incessant pressure owing to the evolution of 

the payer eco system and the propensity crunch to consume 

services at a higher price. Pressure on cost optimization will 

be much higher this year than ever. Physician engagement 

models will be re-engineered, equipment purchase decisions 

may be converted into fee-for-service or lease models, vendor 

contracts will be re-negotiated and manpower allocation will 

be reconsidered. Healthcare providers, both in the government 

and private sectors, will continue to innovate in order to 

optimize costs. 

Medical Tourism 

Higher levels of service create a demand in markets beyond the 

countries where they are provided. The trend of international 

travelers seeking treatment in the GCC will grow further in 

2018. Inter and Intra GCC medical travel will also see higher 

numbers this year. Visa rules in the U.A.E. and other GCC 

countries will play an important role in setting the pace for this. 

On the other hand, treatment seekers from the GCC are more 

likely to stay back and be treated here instead of flying off to the 

U.S., Europe or their home countries. The availability of a higher 

level of care and health insurance will facilitate this. 

M&A 

2018 will see heightened activity in mergers and acquisitions 

in select GCC markets, especially the U.A.E. These markets 

have intensive competition and are ready for consolidation. The 

overall pressure on the margins will provoke smaller players 

to look for exit options. Markets that are still evolving will 

see a growth spurt, with larger players investing in inorganic 

expansion. Larger players from countries like KSA and the 

U.A.E. will branch out into countries like Oman, Bahrain, 

etc. With the recent changes in KSA, we are likely to see more 

investment into and from the Kingdom in the GCC. 

New Delivery Models 

As the market system continues to evolve, we will witness 

new healthcare delivery models in the region. Providers will 

innovate in an attempt to create a niche for themselves. We 

foresee more activity in niche domains like home care and 

remote monitoring. Home care is likely to develop beyond 

just nursing at home in KSA, Kuwait and the U.A.E. Providers 

will venture out to set up single-speciality hospitals, with 

the intention of achieving better efficiencies and stronger 

differentiation. The same logic will also extend to setting up 

more daycare surgical units. 

AI and Technology 

Artificial Intelligence will permeate further and at a faster rate 

than the preceding year. There will be significant improvement 

in the system of working through huge amounts of data 

and algorithms to arrive at a pattern to predict outcomes. 

Governments will back the initiatives in order to reduce the 

disease burden and overall costs. 

Leading healthcare providers in the region have already 

announced plans to augment the use of AI in 2018, with an 

intention to predict diagnosis, and reduce errors and readmission 

rates. In October 2017, the U.A.E. government 

launched the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. The 

strategy is the first-of-its-kind in the region and the world, and 

it aims to make the U.A.E. the first in the field of AI investments 

in various sectors, with healthcare being one key segment. 

Robotic surgery is another technological advancement that 

is likely to deepen its presence in the region. Some hospitals 

have already embarked upon the journey of introducing this 

modality in their service lines and the trend will continue. 

Government providers in KSA, Oman and the U.A.E. are 

leading the way. Various versions of robots, from teleoperated 

surgical robots to the ones used for dispensing medicines, will 

become more visible to patients in 2018. 

Healthcare providers are going to engage in innovative 

collaboration with technology companies as we see a surge 

in demand for more equipment to meet demand in areas like 

oncology and cardiac ailments and diagnosis. 



Hooking Top Talent With Healthcare 

Today’s employment market is more 

competitive than ever before. And with 

healthcare demands and costs rising each 

year, an attractive health and benefits package is 

vital for securing and retaining the best talent. 

However, only around half of employees believe 

their company benefits package meets their needs. 

So where are companies falling short? 

The current state of health and benefits packages 

A third of U.A.E. employers have no formal 

strategy when it comes to workforce health and 

benefits packages. They are lagging behind in two 

key global trends: one is cost-sharing, whereby 

employees contribute to their health insurance 

costs; the other is preventive care packages, 

designed to educate employees in taking better 

care of their own health and thus reducing the 

need for medical intervention. 

Only a small proportion of companies in 

the Middle East are implementing cost-sharing, 

compared to 82% in the Americas, who cost-share 

via annual deductibles. And while nearly half of 

European employers offer wellbeing packages—as 

do the majority of employers in the Americas— 

lifestyle risk management and activity-based 

wellbeing programmes are offered by just 15% and 

25% of U.A.E. employers respectively. 

Moreover, despite the latest figures from the 

World Health Organization (WHO) showing 

that the burden of depression and other mental 

health problems is on the rise globally, only 36% 

of U.A.E. employers offer behavioural/emotional 

health management as part of their benefits plans, 

compared with 61% globally. 

The challenges faced by employers 

So why is there a poor correlation between the 

health benefits employees in the Middle East 

want and those they receive? There are three main 

reasons: 

1. Costs of health and benefits: The rising cost 

of healthcare remains a big challenge for 

employers. While this affects companies all 

over the world, the cost of medical care in 

the Gulf—in particular Saudi Arabia and the 

U.A.E.—continues to rise above inflation. 

2. Poor employee health: The demand for 

expensive healthcare is increasing due to a rise 

in the incidences of chronic diseases associated 

with lifestyle. It’s a worldwide problem, but 

it’s particularly marked in the U.A.E., where 

40% of the population has pre-diabetes or 

diabetes. Such lifestyle-related conditions not 

only create additional healthcare demands for 

employers, they also present a new obstacle for 

companies to negotiate: how to offer preventive 

care packages, such as weight-management 

programmes, without causing offence. 

3. High employee expectations: Gone are the 

days when employees expected basic medical 

and dental care and nothing more. Now they 

are aware of the importance of wellbeing and 

preventive medicine provisions, such as gym 

memberships and stress management support, 

and employers are lagging behind in adding 

these provisions to their strategy. 

Where should U.A.E. employers focus their 

efforts? 

A simple restructure of a company’s employee 

benefits strategy can create a key advantage for 

talent acquisition. Our survey found that the 

majority of employers in the U.A.E. recognise 

this and are keen to differentiate their health and 

benefits offerings within the next three years. 

Improving transparency of total benefit costs—for 

employer and employee—and better managing 

these costs are also key three-year goals for more 

than 70% of U.A.E. employers. 

Here are five ways in which employers can 

redesign their health and benefits programmes to 

meet these goals. 

1. Consider cost-sharing: Given the rising costs 

of healthcare in the Gulf especially, the wider 

implementation of cost-sharing strategies 

STEVE CLEMENTS, DIRECTOR GLOBAL SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS FOR CEEMEA AT WILLIS TOWERS WATSON 


BY MATEJ KASTELIC / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 

could be extremely relevant 

here. Co-insurance and annual 

deductibles have been widely 

adopted in the Americas and 

Europe in order to ease this 

financial pressure, with some 

success. 

2. Introduce preventive health 

programmes: Prevention 

is better than cure and 

encouraging employees to lead 

a healthier lifestyle will result in 

a more productive workforce, 

reducing not just absenteeism 

but also presenteeism (when 

staff show up for work but 

perform below par). A good way 

to start is by providing health 

risk assessments and biometric 

screenings, such as blood 

pressure, glucose and cholesterol 

testing, followed by targeted 

lifestyle advice. In the U.S., many 

companies have found that 

initiatives such as discounted 

gym membership, stop-smoking 

programmes, stress management 

advice, healthy canteen food and 

educational talks on nutrition 

have helped to reduce long-term 

health costs. 

3. Improve employee 

engagement: At present, only 

68% of employees say they have 

a very good understanding 

of their benefits package. 

Employers can encourage greater engagement by involving 

staff in redesigning the health and benefits programme. Ask 

them what they are currently unclear about, why this is the 

case and how this information can be better communicated. 

From this you can create a better communication strategy, 

and letting your employees know how their feedback has 

been implemented will further improve engagement. 

4. Improve transparency: Employers who offer a great health 

and benefits package could do more to let existing and 

potential employees know about it. Simply referring them 

to one resource where health and benefits information is 

available is not sufficient; companies should shout about 

their benefits on digital platforms used by employees and 

potential employees, from blogs to apps and social media, 

as well as flagging them up within the workplace so existing 

employees remain aware of the great benefits on offer. 

5. Increase flexibility of plans: No two employees are alike 

and companies wishing to attract top talent with their 

benefits package must recognise this. Exchange one-sizefits-all 

packages for flexible ‘pick and mix’ plans. An effective 

way of achieving this is by using a benefits marketplace 

approach, which allows employees to select the package that 

best meets their needs via an online marketplace. Employees 

are left more satisfied and engaged with their packages when 

a marketplace approach is used. 

Getting smart about health and benefits in 2018 

As health costs continue to rise alongside employee 

expectations, companies hoping to thrive in 2018 must look 

closely at their health and benefits offering and assess if it 

truly delivers enough to attract and keep a high-performing 

workforce. Movement beyond basic healthcare provision will 

become evident in 2018, with many companies responding 

to employees’ desire to have more diverse wellbeing offerings 

available to them. A key part of this will be implemented via 

marketplaces that offer employees more choice and autonomy. 

Finally, companies will become more vocal about the 

health benefits they offer, ensuring that existing and potential 

employees fully appreciate the true value of everything that their 

employer has to offer them. The stage is set for 2018 and there 

are exciting changes in store. Is your company ready to embrace 

these changes and grab the opportunities they will bring? 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE PHARMA 

Changing The Growth 

Paradigm In Pharmaceuticals 

When it comes to attracting investment from large pharmaceutical 

companies, the big opportunity for Middle Eastern governments may not be 

in manufacturing but in clinical research infrastructure. 

By Dhiraj Joshi, Partner for Healthcare Strategy & Deals at PwC 

Every year pharmaceutical companies 

invest large sums of money into 

research within countries across 

the world that can further their 

understanding of the efficacy of their drugs on a 

specific demographic or patient cohort. 

It is estimated that in 2016 KSA invested 

a total of approximately $20 million in 

pharmaceutical clinical trials and research (or 

0.25% of the total market). In the U.A.E. no 

number is yet available. However, in the U.S. the 

number tops $11 billion annually (or 2.5% of the 

total market). And in Singapore, the government 

has set aside a grant of $27 million just to 

“groom” clinical research coordinators. 

Unofficial estimates suggest that 

Singapore attracts upwards of $400 million in 

biopharmaceutical research annually, a large 

part of which is targeted on clinical research. 

Ireland has also focused on bringing in research 

BY GORODENKOFF / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 



money and is fast becoming the go-to 

country for multinationals to invest when 

it comes to research. 

Why are we discussing these data 

points? Because by continuing to focus on 

attracting investments in manufacturing 

alone, governments in the Middle 

East may be missing out on a bigger 

opportunity to attract investment into the 

region—one that is not only significant, 

but is recurring, and can have a strong 

knock-on effect to the healthcare sector 

and on economies at large. 

Clinical Research Vs 

Manufacturing 

Once a clinical trial is instituted, it may 

run over several years or get split into 

smaller trials, extended into multiple 

studies and spread over multiple sites. The 

key is to develop enabling infrastructure, 

and ease patient recruitment. Once this 

base is built, instituting and running 

trials becomes easier for companies. 

Pharmaceutical companies like to run 

trials in multiple sites and they don’t like 

to switch quickly, which for the country 

means that money keeps coming in. 

Given their annuity-based nature, these 

investments easily dwarf investments in 

manufacturing. 

An investment in manufacturing 

(in plant and machinery), depending 

on the scale and complexity, could be 

worth upwards of $50-70 million to start 

with, but then whittles down to a much 

smaller scale on an annual basis (primarily 

for operational expenditure and other 

recurring expenses). An investment in 

plants can be much larger, but some 

regional dynamics make it difficult for this 

to happen. 

Large pharmaceutical companies 

currently appear to be aggregating their 

manufacturing efforts across the world 

and therefore resisting manufacturing 

investments in multiple sites. This could 

be because they want to have a sharper 

focus on a few molecules or place a 

greater emphasis on biotech products 

that require heavy investments and ease 

the supply chain. The decision becomes 

difficult for them to justify another 

manufacturing site, leading to tepid 

investments. This neither moves the 

needle for them, nor for the country. 

Clinical research on the other hand 

is a viable and flexible conduit for 

investment in a country (provided some 

critical imperatives are met). It allows 

a pharmaceutical company to impact 

research initiatives and gather regional and 

specific data. This channel of investment 

represents an easier method for them that 

is usually not insignificant. 

Economic Impact 

Perhaps the most important argument 

of all, is the empirical evidence from the 

U.S. and other developed countries, which 

suggests that such investments catalyze 

growth in many other sectors and have a 

strong knock-on effect on the economy. 

Every dollar spent on clinical research 

results in another $1.7 in direct impact, 

and $4.5 in indirect impact. It could be 

argued that the total impact is almost six to 

seven times on the overall economy, with 

major gains coming through in healthcare 

provision. There is an additional uplift 

when sites are selected to conduct clinical 

trials and research in the hospitals, as this 

has an impact on manpower requirement 

and job generation. Systems and physical 

infrastructure are also upscaled, which 

leads to greater benefits in the end for 

patients. 

A recent PwC study that gathered 

insight from the leaders of major researchdriven 

pharmaceutical companies showed 

that most are amenable to exploring these 

possibilities with governments. This could 

be beneficial for all stakeholders, and most 

importantly for the patients, who may get 

access to later-day clinical protocols and 

medicines. Governments also stand to 

win in the longer-term, as investments in 

the sector become less hyphenated, more 

regular and hopefully more substantial. 

The region has the right mix of 

drivers for getting greater clinical research 

investments: a significant urban population 

that is concentrated; a diverse race mix and 

disease profile; and the base infrastructure. 

It may need an uphaul, but it could present 

significant opportunities for governments 

across the region to leap-frog the chain of 

evolution in pharmaceuticals and ride the 

innovation wave, by focusing on areas that 

converge with the priorities of the sector 

and its main constituents. Hopefully, a 

win-win for all. 

INNOVATORS 

Vazeeta 

Digital healthcare booking 

platform for patients and 

doctors 

Founder: Amir Barsoum 

Funding: $11M 

Country: Egypt 

Founded: 2012 

Investors: Technology and 

Development Fund, Silicon 

Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok 

New Ventures, Endeavor 

Catalyst 

Vezeeta helps patients find 

a good doctor through 

a website and mobile 

app. Patients can choose 

a doctor by specialty, 

geographic area, insurance 

purveyor and fees, as well 

as check more than 30,000 

reviews and ratings. Vezeeta 

currently operates in Egypt, 

Jordan, Lebanon and Dubai. 

Personal Note 

Before starting Vezeeta, 

Amir Barsoum led the 

strategy for MENA 

markets at AstraZeneca 

pharmaceuticals. 


FORBES MIDDLE EAST // ASTER DM HEALTHCARE 

A Lifetime Of Care 

It’s been three decades since Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing 

Director of Aster DM Healthcare first arrived in Dubai. In that time he's built an 

empire dedicated to accessible patient care. 

You relocated to Dubai nearly 30 

years ago—what brought you here 

then? What was your situation when 

you arrived? Did you ever dream it 

would get this big? 

A job opportunity in Ajman brought 

me to the U.A.E. in 1987. Back then, 

I had no intention to remain in the 

region for a prolonged period of time. 

I was a medical teacher in India and 

wanted to advance my career. 

When I arrived in the late 1980s, the 

healthcare infrastructure in the region 

was far less developed than it is today. 

While there were government hospitals 

that provided some care, people were 

finding it difficult to get primary and 

secondary care. The availability of 

tertiary care was very limited. Taking 

note of the local need for personalized 

medical care, I set up The Al Rafa 

Polyclinic in Bur Dubai, known today as 

Aster Jubilee Medical Complex. From 

that point forward, the demand for 

quality healthcare only began to climb 

as the U.A.E.’s economy developed and 

the population increased exponentially. 

Certainly, I never expected the 

single clinic to become the success 

that it is today. The organization has 

evolved into a healthcare conglomerate 

that has secured its presence in nine 

countries across the Middle East, India 

and the Philippines. 

What are the three things that you 

think have been key to your success? 

Firstly, it was our ability to find opportunities that were required 

by patients, such as expanding our portfolio of healthcare 

services to various different locations. Secondly, we believe in 

providing quality healthcare at an affordable cost. Finally, our 

very dedicated team of employees who work hard to ensure that 

this dream becomes a reality is one of the most fundamental 

keys to our success. 

Dr. Azad Moopen, 

Founder Chairman and 

Managing Director of 

Aster DM Healthcare 

These days do you still see yourself as a doctor, or has 

business taken over? At what point did you choose to stop 

practicing as a doctor and why? 

I have always viewed myself as a doctor first. My role in this 

organization has certainly evolved to incorporate the business 

perspective over the course of the last few decades, but the 

driving force behind my efforts has always remained the same. 


120 bedded Medcare Multi-specialty Hospital in Sharjah 

Ensuring individuals receive quality healthcare is at the heart 

of what we do at Aster DM Healthcare, and I believe that this 

is true of every member of the organization regardless of their 

official designation. 

I used to see 100 patients a day myself from 1987 to 1997 

and gradually I reduced it. I had to stop practicing as we 

spread over geographies and I had to travel a lot, which was 

compromising patient care. 

What do you think are the main challenges currently facing 

healthcare professionals and the sector more widely? 

In the GCC, we encounter a notable degree of dependence 

on expats to occupy the roles of healthcare professionals. As 

such, shortages exist across different areas of the industry. 

This poses both a challenge and an opportunity to invest in 

the GCC for medical education. We must focus on bringing 

advanced medical care of tertiary and quaternary level to 

GCC. The governments of GCC must also look at possibility 

of common licensing of professionals for all countries. 

How much did your recent IPO issuance raise? Where do 

you plan to invest this money? 

The IPO raised around $151 million, which will be used 

for the retirement of debt in India, equipment for our new 

hospitals coming up in India, and general corporate purposes. 

In addition, we have five hospitals in different stages of 

completion and planning in GCC countries. 

You’ve said you will focus more on India going forward— 

why is this? Is there more money to be made there than in 

the Middle East? 

In 2017, the GCC contributed 84% of our annual revenue and 

this region will continue to be a strong focus for us. However, 

looking at long-term prospects, India is a good market with 

a population of 1.26 billion people. We hope to have 25-30% 

of business in India. Our strategy has always been driven by a 

focus on fulfilling the need gaps in healthcare in the markets 

and we are committed to bringing quality affordable healthcare 

to people who need it most. 

You celebrated a year of giving back in 2017. What 

were the initiatives that you implemented and what 

difference did they make? 

2017 was also our 30th Anniversary year and in line with 

the year of giving, we launched Aster Volunteers, which 

is a multi-layered program that helps to bridge the gap 

between people who would like to help and people in need. 

Running successfully across nine countries, the 

program has touched the lives of 566,330 people through 

various initiatives. These included free surgeries and 

investigation for over 14,534 patients in the GCC and 

India. Basic Life Support training was provided to more 

than 119,020 people in the GCC and India, equipping 

them with first responder techniques that are useful in 

case of emergencies such as heart attacks and choking. 

We also recruited 63 differently-abled employees into 

our workforce. 

Working with local government bodies and nonprofit 

organisations, we are currently leading a donation 

drive, targeting the collection of 30,000 units of blood. 

Last year, the Aster Volunteers Programme reached out 

to disaster-affected communities, providing food supplies 

to refugees in Somalia and the Rohingya Refugee camp 

in Bangladesh. And we provided free healthcare services 

to Syrian refugees in Zaatari, Azraq and Erbid in Jordan. 

Free medical screenings were performed on 46,000 people 

in the U.A.E. alone through our air mobile clinic. 

What keeps you going? What are you most proud of? 

I get a feeling of accomplishment when dreams are 

realized. The late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam once said dreams 

are not what you see during sleep, but the ones that keep 

you awake. While our success is certainly reflected in 

our vast network, the true measure of our success and 

our greatest pride lies in knowing that we have not lost 

sight of our mission along the way. We have always been 

driven by a desire to make healthcare accessible to all and 

affordable—profit must be a by-product and not the aim in 

the “business” of healthcare. This is what keeps us going. 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE PHARMA 

Tighter Compliance For 

Medical Manufacturers 

The power held by pharmaceutical and medical device companies is everincreasing 

as they deliver the products to save and prolong people’s lives. In 

the last five years global regulations have tightened to make sure that these 

companies are operating transparently for those that rely on them most— 

patients. The Middle East is now following suit. 


The business behind the 

promotion of pharmaceuticals 

and medical technology is 

as highly-scrutinized as it 

is impactful, and as such subject to 

increasingly tighter rules and regulation 

across the world to ensure that the 

sway companies have over medical 

professionals is kept unbiased and 

transparent. 

Financial relationships between 

healthcare professionals and product 

(such as drug or MedTech) manufacturers 

have always been commonplace. For 

example, doctors and physicians often 

travel internationally for medical 

conferences and congresses to learn about 

the latest innovations and how to use 

them, or indeed speak at industry events. 

In the past it was possible for medical 

product manufacturing companies to 

sponsor individuals and organizations and pay towards such 

trips without complete disclosure. Payments and sponsorship 

could include funding education or paying for professional 

services—it could also include covering travel costs and expenses 

and paying for meals in the workplace. A lack of complete 

transparency led to the question of potential conflicts of interest, 

and whether these relationships may have a direct or indirect 

influence over how professionals promote or use their products. 

That is now changing. Since 2013, medical product 

manufacturers in the U.S. have been required to disclose all 

payments or other “transfers of value” made to healthcare 

professionals and organizations under the Physician Payments 

Sunshine Act, as well requiring some manufacturers and 

group purchasing organizations to disclose any ownerships 

or investment interests that physicians may have in their 

companies. Europe soon followed suit in 2016, with the 

European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and 

Associations Disclosure Code requiring its members to 

document and disclose transfers of value. The data collected 

is published and made publicly available. Although in Europe 

healthcare professionals are required to give their permission 

to publish payment information, where consent is not given 

details are published in aggregate, with companies disclosing 

the number of professionals that withheld consent and the total 

amount paid to them. 

The Middle East has paid attention to the global trend and is 

considering how to improve standards within its own booming 

healthcare sector. “The GCC pharmaceutical sector is growing. 

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. continue to be the largest markets 

for sales,” says Enrique Manzoni, Regional Managing Director 

for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Boehringer Ingelheim 

GmbH. “The U.A.E. market alone will surge to over $28 billion 


BY CERGIOS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 

in 2021. There is considerable focus in 

the region on corporate responsibility 

that goes beyond financial gains, one that 

works towards collectively raising the bar 

in terms of infrastructure, medication 

availability and skills development.” 

Now the region is creating its own 

transparency laws, with new legislation 

for pharmaceutical companies released 

by KSA’s Saudi Food and Drug Authority 

(SFDA) in February 2018—the 

Pharmaceutical Company Payments 

Disclosure Initiative—promoting 

disclosure in line with international 

standards. Other MENA countries, 

including the U.A.E., are believed to be 

exploring similar routes. 

Under the SFDA’s new initiative, 

medical companies must report all 

financial support including (but not 

limited to) consulting fees, speaking 

fees, training fees, the sponsorship 

of healthcare professionals to attend 

an educational event, research or 

educational grants, symposium or 

conference sponsorships, hospitality, 

gifts or entertainment and the supply 

of scientific materials such as books or 

instruments. 

Some companies in the region are 

well prepared for the change. MENA’s 

trade association for medical technology 

and pharmaceutical companies, 

Mecomed, came into being back in 

2007 made up of just four companies— 

today it covers 21 countries and around 

600 million people through its 36 

members. In October 2017, Mecomed 

released a new updated code of ethics 

for its members in line with European 

guidelines. Coming into effect on January 

1, 2018, the guidelines are designed to 

strengthen trust in the industry and 

reduce the number of patients that 

choose to travel abroad for treatment. 

“We are in a much better position 

than others because we have our code 

and we have already started,” says 

Mecomed chairman, Rami Rajab. “A 

company cannot go to a doctor and tell 

the doctor or lab technician or HCPs 

(healthcare professionals), we are inviting 

you for a conference and covering all 

your expenses. In future such invitations 

should go through the authorities or 

made through the organizers of the 

meeting, but you cannot have a direct 

invitation to the doctor that could lead to 

an influence on behavior.” 

While the positive effects of such 

regulation are beneficial for both the 

transparency of the industry, and 

ultimately the care of the patients, there 

may be a transition as companies find 

new ways to share best practice and new 

products with professionals that are cost 

effective and within the boundaries of the 

new guidelines. Rajab believes many are 

already on the case. 

“Most companies have developed 

regional education programmes 

where they will train doctors on the 

newest technology and innovation 

as companies, not going through 

conferences,” Rajab explains. “We are 

keen on education, and the transfer of 

technology to healthcare professionals, 

and we are doing it in a different way 

rather than direct sponsorship. If you 

send one doctor or one healthcare 

professional to the U.S. or to Europe to 

get training on a certain technology you 

can send one or two. However, if you can 

organize regional training in situ then 

you can bring 20 doctors.” 

Digital tools are also helping 

companies to link up with and teach 

professionals about new products 

without the need for travel. “Technology 

is a key enabler, creating a network of 

professionals who are able to connect 

more easily,” agrees Manzoni. “We 

organize conferences across the region, 

and throughout the world, with the 

aim of educating healthcare providers 

and through them patients to explore 

the various treatment options to best 

match patient needs. These events 

are maximized through live links and 

digital platforms, where we are able to 

reach even more physicians in different 

countries, which is both time and cost 

effective.” 

While manufacturers explore new 

methods of sharing knowledge and figure 

out how that may change their working 

relationships, with tighter rules and 

requirements demanding transparency 

in the industry patients should feel more 

secure that going forward their best 

interests are being put first. As medical 

companies prepare to disclose to Saudi 

for the first time, the rest of MENA is 

unlikely to be far behind. 

Wellbeing Worries 

For Expats 

Expats in the Middle East are 

generally satisfied with their 

lives in the region but consider 

themselves at a disadvantage 

when it comes to their health 

and wellness. This finding was 

one of the outcomes of global 

health insurer Cigna’s latest 360 

Wellbeing Survey, which annually 

examines health concerns among 

globally mobile individuals (GMIs) 

across the world. 

According to the survey findings, 

while GMIs in the Middle East rank 

their satisfaction levels with life in 

the region at 73%, compared to 

the global average of 75%, one 

in three respondents feel they do 

not receive adequate duty of care 

from their employers. 

Adding to this, Middle East expats 

cite loneliness (23%) and quality 

of local healthcare (15%) among 

the top stressors impacting their 

lives. 

Of the survey respondents, 85% 

said they were insured by their 

employers. At the same time, 

66% said they would prefer to 

go back to their home country for 

treatment of critical illnesses. 

Art Cozad, CEO of Cigna 

Insurance Middle East, said, 

“Financial and physical wellbeing 

are key areas of concern for 

a large majority of the GMIs 

we surveyed. Despite these 

challenges, two-thirds of the 

respondents are keen to stay 

on in the Middle East for at 

least three years or more. To us, 

these findings build a strong 

case for wellness and preventive 

care programs, which from our 

experience are significantly more 

effective in delivering positive 

health outcomes.” 



COVER STORY HEALTHCARE GUIDE 2018 

A Health 

Odyssey 

Head of the iconic Thumbay Group, Dr. Thumbay 

Moideen, established the region’s first and only 

private medical university in Ajman two decades 

ago, followed by its first private teaching hospital. 

Today his network expands across 20 different 

sectors including real estate, wellness and hospitality. 

As he prepares to celebrate his 20th anniversary, the 

leader has no intention of slowing down. 

By Forbes Middle East 

When Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder and President of the 

Thumbay Group, opened the Gulf Medical University in 1998, 

it was part of a plan to both teach aspiring young doctors and 

impact Ajman’s economy. Having no previous experience in either 

healthcare or education, Moideen took the risk; the government had spotted 

Moideen’s business acumen and vision the year before and convinced him to 

invest in the emirate. By 2002 Moideen had opened a 200-bed teaching hospital 

in Ajman, followed by a 60-bed hospital in Fujairah in 2006, a 60-bed hospital in 

Sharjah in 2011, and a 150- bed hospital in Dubai in 2015. 

The businessman has not just stuck to healthcare and education. Over the 

years he has also invested in clinics, wellness, real estate, publishing, hospitality, 

retail, media, technology and distribution. And a second state-of-the-art hospital 

is due to open in Ajman later this year. Forbes Middle East spoke to Dr. Thumbay 

Moideen, the legendary figure well-known for his achievements in the U.A.E., as 

he looks back over 20 years of growth. 


HEALTHCARE 

COVER STORY 

You’re celebrating your 20th anniversary this year. 

Looking back what are you most proud of? And 

have you achieved everything you hoped to? 

When I established Thumbay Group back in 1998, 

I had ambitions and strategy, but frankly the results 

that we’ve achieved in due course and continue to 

achieve today, have been nothing short of a dream 

run. Deciding to venture into medical education and 

healthcare was one of the best decisions I ever made, 

and the pleasure of having touched and transformed 

the lives of people has been very satisfying. The trust 

we have built over the years places more responsibility 

on us, and I believe that we still have a lot to achieve 

and contribute. 

Looking back, I am proud of every milestone we’ve 

achieved over the years. However, the fact that we have 

become the preferred choice in medical education 

for students from over 80 countries and the favorite 

healthcare destination of patients from around 175 

countries is something we value immensely. Of all 

the things we have achieved in this two-decade long 

journey, I feel that the trust we have earned from our 

customers and the satisfaction we have delivered to 

them have always been something to be proud of. 

What are some of the unique things about Gulf 

Medical University? 

The most unique thing about Gulf Medical 

University (GMU) is that we are the only private 

medical university in the region. Our 1 million sq. 

ft. constructed facilities the campus spreads over a 

sprawling 25 acres of Thumbay Medi City. We have 

students from over 80 nationalities and our faculty staff 

is made up of 25+ nationalities. With the combination 

of ongoing and upcoming projects, we envision the 

campus as a vibrant space where up to 2000 families 

can live. 

GMU and the Thumbay Hospital network together 

train close to 20% of the doctors and around 60% of 

the healthcare professionals in the U.A.E. The fact that 

Thumbay Hospitals are teaching hospitals gives us a 

competitive advantage—it ensures that our hospitals 

have highly qualified and experienced doctors, as well 

as cutting-edge technology and equipment. 

The university and teaching hospitals are integrated 

together into the first and the only private Academic 

Health System in the region—the Gulf Medical 

University Academic Health System (GMUAHS). All 

our academic hospitals are members of GMUAHS. 

Research is another core area, and it is wellintegrated 

with the education and healthcare functions. 

Our facilities include the Thumbay Institute for 

Precision Medicine and Translational Research, 

Thumbay Institute of Population Health and the 

Thumbay Institute of Health Workforce Development 

& Leadership. 

How did you sustain your business in this two 

decade long journey? 

Sustaining a business is a demanding task. 

Diversification has been one of our fundamental 

growth strategies which has helped us sustain the 

Thumbay Group 

plans to open its 

second hospital 

in Ajman by the 

end of 2018. 

IMAGE COURTESY OF THUMBAY GROUP 

COVER & INSIDE IMAGES FORBES MIDDLE EAST / RAJA 


momentum. We started off with medical education, then to 

meet the training needs of our students, we set up the first 

private academic hospital in the region in Ajman, which 

later grew into a network of academic hospitals at various 

locations in the U.A.E., and subsequently, India. In due 

course, our hospitals succeeded in getting JCI accredited. 

We also opened a network of family clinics—Thumbay 

Clinic—across the U.A.E., including ELITE clinics to cater 

to the upmarket clientele. We ventured into diagnostics 

with Thumbay Labs, which today is one of the largest CAPaccredited 

networks of private diagnostic labs in the region. 

The Thumbay Pharmacy chain now has over 60 outlets, with 

presence in the U.A.E. and India. 

Our diversification strategy was mostly in response to the 

needs of the time. The university required a restaurant, coffee 

shop, recreation facilities etc. Instead of depending on others, 

we chose to launch our own brands. Established as the 

first fine dining restaurant in the locality, today the Terrace 

Restaurant is a growing network with presence across the 

U.A.E., and has won HACCP certification. Blends & Brews 

Coffee Shoppe is one of the fastest growing chains in the 

region, and has extended its presence to India, in addition 

to various locations in the U.A.E. Body & Soul Health Club 

& Spa, with its ELITE, Ladies Only and kids’ clubs, is among 

the favorite family healthcare destinations in the U.A.E. 

Thumbay Builders, which initially handled our own 

construction projects, but was eventually spun off as an 

independent arm, is one of the largest real estate companies 

in the Northern Emirates. Thumbay Group also ventured 

into publishing by launching HEALTH magazine, one of the 

most popular health and lifestyle magazines in the region. 

Thumbay Media, a leading media solutions provider and 

Thumbay Technologies, an IT solutions company are also the 

results of Thumbay Group’s diversification strategy. 

We also launched retail brands like Zo & Mo Opticals, 

Nutri Plus Vita and The Flower Shoppe. Thumbay Marketing 

and Distribution Company works with products in the 

pharmaceutical, biomedical, medical, veterinary, fashion and 

education sectors. 

In your mind what have been the defining milestones in 

the transformation of the healthcare sector over the last 

two decades? 

Medical tourism has also become a popular initiative, 

especially in the Middle East. To manage our own medical 

tourism efforts, we have an exclusive brand—Thumbay 

Medical Tourism—which has representative offices in 87 

countries. We are a partner in the Dubai Health Experience, 

the prestige brand conceived by the Dubai Health Authority 

to strengthen Dubai’s position on the world map of medical 

tourism. 

Making healthcare affordable has been one of Thumbay 

Group’s core priorities, and this has enabled us to create a new 

model in the healthcare sector, by combining affordability 

with quality. 

What do you think are the most pressing issues facing 

medical professionals and investors today? 

Keeping pace with the world of digital innovation and 

technological transformation is a key challenge for healthcare 

professionals and investors alike. Medical technology is developing 

at breakneck speeds, and hospitals and professionals have to act 

quickly and pragmatically to take advantage of its benefits. 

Furthermore, there is an increased focus on delivering 

improved patient outcomes and providing facilities, which 

considerably enhance patient convenience and cater to 

consumer preferences. 

What innovations are you most excited about for the future? 

The growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical 

education and healthcare is one area of innovation I am 

particularly interested in. Thumbay Group is keen to play a 

central role in facilitating advances in AI in line with our strategic 

vision plan, which envisions growth and innovation across all 

our businesses, particularly healthcare and education. Thumbay 

Technologies is venturing into partnerships with leading AI 

providers to take this vision forward. 

What are your current expansion plans? What new facilities 

do you have in the pipeline? 

We are going through an important phase of expansion, both 

in size and global presence, in accordance with our long-term 

strategic plans. This will expand the size of the group’s businesses 

tenfold and raise the size of our workforce to 25,000. 

We plan to increase the capacity of the Thumbay academic 

hospital network to 1,000 beds in the U.A.E., 1,500 beds in India 

and 750 beds elsewhere in the Gulf and in Africa. Look at the 

university and GMU is soon going to be adding engineering 

and management courses, and plans are afoot to open three new 

university campuses across three different countries. By 2022, we 

also plan to add 25 more Thumbay labs, 100 Thumbay pharmacies, 

40 Zo & Mo Opticals outlets, 100 Blends & Brews coffee shops, 25 

Body & Soul health clubs and 50 Nutri Plus Vita stores. 

Do you have any personal ambitions still to fulfill? 

I have got to where I am today thanks to the grace of the 

Almighty, a hardworking team that has always backed me up and 

the government’s support. Moreover, I consider myself lucky to 

live and do business in this beautiful country. 

My sons Akbar and Akram are actively involved in the business 

and are members of Thumbay Group Board. Akbar looks after the 

Healthcare Division as its Vice President, whereas Akram heads 

the Construction and Renovation Division, as well as Thumbay 

Technologies, as the Director. We dream of scaling up the business 

ten times, making Thumbay a global brand with a global presence. 

While I am grateful for all that I have achieved personally 

and professionally, these accomplishments motivate me to 

continue contributing to the society. I have always viewed 

success as the impact one makes on society by touching lives. I 

would like to be remembered as a compassionate man who did 

his best to transform the lives of his fellow human beings. 



Behavioral Science Can 

Help Improve Health 

GCC countries have made their 

citizens’ health a priority in 

their national visions. Their 

objectives include a new paradigm 

that seeks to improve quality across 

the healthcare system and encourage 

preventive care. Medical practitioners 

have to adopt new treatment methods, 

and citizens have to make different 

lifestyle choices, such as eating 

healthier food, exercising more, or 

quitting smoking. The problem is that traditional ways of 

designing and implementing policies to achieve these results 

may not work on their own. To reach these outcomes, GCC 

countries should consider complementing their standard policy 

toolkits with behavioral science insights. 

Changes in behavior are an important part of a broader 

healthcare effort. In addition to structural initiatives like 

increasing the number of hospitals, physicians and medical 

staff, GCC healthcare reforms address the quality of both 

therapeutic and preventive care. Plans like the Abu Dhabi 

Health Care Strategic Plan, the Dubai Health Strategy 2021 and 

Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Program 2020 include 

initiatives to change practices across the medical profession, 

such as prompting doctors to prescribe treatments based 

on national standards. They also aim to decrease incidences 

of lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular 

diseases by encouraging citizens to adopt healthier and more 

active lifestyles, and schedule more regular medical checkups. 

These are areas where behavioral science can supplement 

standard policy tools. 

Behavioral science works by helping policymakers design 

interventions that gently sway people toward a desired 

behavior. Traditional policy tools alone (taxes, financial 

incentives, generic awareness campaigns) are not always 

effective in changing the way people think or act. People’s 

beliefs, attitudes, and emotional triggers make them resist 

change, even though it is in their self-interest (for example, 

quitting smoking to reduce the risk of lung cancer) or for the 

common good (for example, using public transport to reduce 

emissions and improve air quality). 

Behavioral interventions address such “cognitive biases” 

using simple tools like targeted communication messages, 

role models and game features as incentives. They use nudges 

like positive reinforcement or indirect suggestions. Behavioral 

interventions work best when combined with conventional 

policy levers (such as taxes on sugary beverages) and access to 

adequate infrastructure like sports facilities, nutrition centers, or 

hospitals. They are relatively inexpensive, require minimal effort 

and do not restrict freedoms. In the past decade, governments 

around the world have increasingly used behavioral science in 

different policy areas. 

Some of the most effective behavioral interventions have 

been in health policy. For example, the U.K.’s Behavioral Insights 

Team (BIT) successfully encouraged doctors who were giving 

patients too many antibiotics to reduce prescriptions by over 

3%. The BIT appealed to these physicians’ desire to conform 

to professional norms by sending them letters stating that their 

fellow doctors recommended antibiotics less frequently. 

Similarly, the city of New Orleans got more people from 

low-income families to sign up for free medical check-ups by 

testing three differently-worded SMS notifications—messages 

that encouraged people to look after themselves so they could 

take care of their loved ones had the highest response rate. In 

Singapore, the Health Promotion Board used gamification 

features to encourage people to walk more. In one subway 

station, it made stairs and walkways light up and play musical 

notes when people used them instead of taking escalators and 

travellators. 

GCC governments can apply similar techniques tailored to 

their specific context and target demographics. They can ensure 

that more physicians deliver the same level of quality by sending 

them letters comparing their performance to their peers. In 

terms of prevention, they can use role models as spokespersons 

for healthy diets and exercise. They can also encourage school 

cafeterias to display healthy food options more prominently. 

And they could design family-friendly approaches that enlist 

parents’ support in ensuring their children eat better and 

exercise more. To improve their citizens’ quality of life, they can 

remind them individually to get regular checkups. 

To implement this innovative approach, GCC countries 

will need to build core behavioral capabilities. They should 

start by piloting high-impact interventions through dedicated 

behavioral insights teams in priority healthcare areas—for 

example, reducing obesity—and then measure their impact. 

Finally, they should share their results with other government 

entities to mainstream this approach and so address other social, 

economic and environmental objectives. 

DR. YAHYA ANOUTI, PRINCIPAL AT STRATEGY& MIDDLE EAST (FORMERLY BOOZ & COMPANY), PART OF THE PWC NETWORK 

36 FORBES MIDDLE EAST I GUIDE 2018 

*THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON A REPORT DEVELOPED BY STRATEGY& ME AND WPP IN 

COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT 2018.

FORBES MIDDLE EAST // THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER MIDDLE EAST CENTRE 

Middle East Healthcare Needs Clear Vision 

And Leadership To Transform The Industry 

Dr Stephen Brookes is a senior fellow in public policy and management and specializes in 

leadership and organizational development, with a special focus on healthcare management at 

The University of Manchester. 

Healthcare is in a very 

strong position to benefit 

from the focus on innovation 

in the region, as the industry 

continues to undergo rapid transformation. 

It’s not just about the 

technology—innovative technology 

is only an enabler in the process of 

developing a robust, accessible, affordable 

and sustainable industry 

to help combat the rising cost and 

complexity of care. The really clever 

part is how people organise and 

use technology, and this raises the 

crucial question about the role of 

leadership and management. 

The entire model of healthcare 

and its delivery is undergoing a profound 

transformation, with a greater 

focus on patient-centric care and patient 

outcomes. The system is moving away from a treatment 

or sickness model to a more preventive model of care—the 

Wellness model. It’s also bringing care closer to the community, 

through a dispersed model of care and becoming less dependent 

on the multispecialty hospital. 

With more information, education and care based in the 

community, patients and healthy individuals are taking more 

responsibility for their own health, with a range of health apps 

and support available to manage chronic lifestyle diseases and 

conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. The consumerisation 

of healthcare technology is supporting the sharing 

of responsibility for individual and family wellness between 

the individual/family and healthcare provider (whether this is 

the public or private sector or even non-traditional providers, 

from telcos to social media platforms). 

In the Middle East, the driving need to share responsibility 

for the delivery of healthcare between the public and private 

sectors means that public private partnerships (PPPs) are becoming 

more of a necessity. As the private sector increasingly 

applies its experience and expertise to help solve challenges 

traditionally faced by the public sector, we see a new challenge 

arise of balancing the expectations and needs of private sector 

shareholders versus public sector stakeholders. This may 

create some potential for confusion or even some conflict as 

they both seek to create new cost efficiencies 

while improving patient 

outcomes and the general health of 

the community. PPPs are an essential 

element of the evolving model, as the 

healthcare sector looks to share the 

burdens of risk and cost of care provision 

more equitably. 

Of course, with the region’s growing 

(and ageing) population and rising 

incidences of lifestyle diseases, this 

challenge is only going to increase. 

The greater openness of regional 

healthcare to the private sector is a 

positive development, but these providers 

must be able to operate efficiently 

and be able to sustain the 

investment required to provide specialist 

treatment even for low volumes 

Dr Stephen Brookes 

of patients, or patients will continue 

to flow to the public-sector providers who have the capacity 

and expertise. 

All of these developments reflect an increasing emphasis 

on wellness and disease prevention, which is what we all want 

to see—longer, healthier, positive and fulfilling lives for all 

members of the family through the entire lifecycle. 

The shift from the sickness model of care to the wellness 

model, and the increasing collaboration between public and 

private sectors will cause some disruption, which is always a 

concern when we are talking about the most basic human right 

of access to medical care. A greater emphasis on screening, 

monitoring and prevention will go some way to alleviating this. 

At the core of this process of transformation must be a high 

degree of mutual trust; between policy makers and regulators, 

public and private sectors, between providers and patients, and 

between healthcare management and clinical and staff. 

There has never been a greater need for vision and leadership 

in the regional healthcare sector and effective management 

at every level - regulatory, institutional, departmental. 

Vision and leadership will provide the direction and then 

the entire industry must join together to ensure that the population 

of the region continues to enjoy access to safe and effective 

world-class health services, with a focus on the patient, 

improved outcomes and a healthier and happier quality of life. 


FORBES MIDDLE EAST // ZULEKHA HEALTHCARE GROUP 

A Legacy With 

Both Eyes On 

The Future 

Taher Shams, Managing Director, Zulekha 

Healthcare Group talks to us about the group’s 

latest expansion plans, and how it’s using 

robotics to enhance the patient experience. 

The Zulekha name holds quite a legacy. How does that 

inspire you as a leader at the group? 

I have been associated with the organization and its 

people since day one. That in itself defines how interesting 

the journey has been. With a legendary leader like Dr. 

Zulekha Daud guiding us, we are inspired every single 

day and moment to give our best to our patrons. We take 

great pride in the organizational culture and our vision 

that has enabled our success to date. Our continuous 

endeavor is to walk the talk. 

I take pride in leading the innovative and passionate 

minds across various functions at our facilities in 

U.A.E. and India. I also derive my inspiration from our 

employees, who are unique in their own ways, creating 

opportunities and making the most of their capabilities. 


Their commitment over the years has been 

exceptional and that has been our strength. 

You recently announced that you plan to open 

another hospital in Sharjah—can you tell us a bit 

more about that development? 

Our current Sharjah capacity has gone up to 185 beds, 

including a recent extension to our existing facility. 

After a very successful foray into the Indian market, 

with the launch of a hospital under the brand name 

Alexis in Nagpur, the group will be introducing this 

brand to the U.A.E. by investing in a 150-bed facility 

in Sharjah that will extend customized services to 

diverse communities in the region. 

Do you see a growing demand in the U.A.E. 

market that still needs filling? How do you remain 

unique from the competition? 

Growth in the sector has been healthy and will 

also depend on the regulatory environment in 

future. As healthcare providers, we should work 

more closely with the government authorities to 

ensure the affordability aspect is maintained despite 

advancements, increasing investment in technology 

and maintaining a skilled workforce, which may 

impact bottom lines. 

We always take pride in being pioneers in the 

industry and that has helped us lead the rest and stand 

out. We are happy to see industry players adapting 

our initiatives, which we initially conceptualized for 

greater efficiencies and enhanced solutions. Our 

growth and investments have been organic and we 

will continue to do the same as a healthy strategy 

for the next few years, unlike bigger players who are 

public and expanding far and wide. Our motive is 

to build Centers of Excellence, and we are doing just 

that rather than diluting our resources. This helps 

us offer the best in class across multispecialities, 

under one roof. 

How is development progressing on the new 

hospital in India? 

Alexis Multi-speciality Hospital in India has been 

progressing very well. We are proud to be accredited 

by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals 

& Healthcare Providers (NABH). This is testimony 

to our commitment to provide international 

quality of healthcare to the citizens of India. 

Making the medical facilities more affordable and 

easily accessible has served the need of the hour in 

Central India. 

We are working towards eventually making 

Nagpur the medical hub for the entire country, and 

even for patients from foreign countries who seek 

affordable medical aid. Many international patients 

are already visiting the city due to cost- effective yet 

state-of-art-treatment, which we provide at Alexis. 

What other plans do you have over the coming 

year to innovate and grow? 

We are expanding our existing facility in Dubai, 

doubling our capacity. Following the completion of 

the Zulekha Hospital Dubai expansion, the hospital 

will have an additional 60 inpatient beds, operation 

theatre arrangements, emergency services and 

labour rooms, taking its total capacity to 179 beds in 

2018. Apart from a comprehensive Oncology Care 

unit, with radiation therapy bunkers to surgical 

theatres, the building will provide for additional 

Cath labs as well. 

Sub-specialties providing services with respect 

to Pediatric Nephrology and Pediatric Cardiology 

will be available alongside Histopathology, Fetal 

Medicine and Neurosurgery, which will be 

established in the extended facility. We also plan to 

have a Trauma Care Unit, IVF Clinic and Diabetic 

Clinic. 

How are you keeping up with advancements in 

medical technology? What are some of current 

digital breakthroughs that you think will have the 

most impact in future? 

Organizations are focused on improving operational 

efficiencies with AI and Robotics. We believe the use 

of robots in administrative or back-office tasks, data 

collections and patient experience management 

can help increase productivity and enable existing 

resources to channel their strengths and time to 

more important tasks. The Group is introducing 

Robotic pharmacies in order to improve efficiencies 

in administrative tasks, data collections and 

customer experience management. 

Regional advances by authorities are shaping 

the future of healthcare positively. For example, 

the recent launch of the DXH app enables medical 

tourists to gain easy and faster access to medical 

facilities any time of the day. Another great decision 

to use AI to sort all chest X-ray scans required 

for mandatory medical fitness tests for residency 

purposes is part of the Dubai Health Strategy 2021, 

using AI and smart systems to streamline healthcare 

in the emirate. Likewise, we will look forward to 

ride the progress wave along with our public and 

private partners in the sector. 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE BILLIONAIRES 

Global Healthcare Billionaires 

In FORBES 2018 ranking of the world’s richest people,134 billionaires had made their 

fortune in the healthcare sector. The highest ranking healthcare tycoon was Dilip Shanghvi 

of Pharmaceuticals India, whose $12.8 billion wealth got him to number 115 out of 2,208 

billionaires in total. Here we highlight the super-rich moguls in the medical sector. 

#115 

62 DILIP SHANGHVI 

$12.8 B 


India 

#126 

60 SEO JUNG-JIN 

$11.9 B 

Biotech 

South Korea 

#158 

79 THOMAS FRIST, JR. 

$9.6 B 

Health Care 

United States 

#170 

76 CYRUS 

POONAWALLA 

$9.1 B 

Vaccines 

India 

#274 - Guenther Fielmann 

Guenther Fielmann is the founder and CEO 

of eyeglasses giant Fielmann AG; his family 

controls 71.64% of its shares. 

He opened his first optometry shop in 

Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1972, and took the 

company public in 1994. 

Fielmann AG sells nearly half the 

prescription eyeglasses in Germany, and 

also has outlets in Austria, Switzerland, 

Italy, Netherlands and Poland. 

In January 2016, son Marc, who studied at 

the London School of Economics, joined 

the company’s management board. 

#174 

52 ERNESTO 

BERTARELLI 

$8.9 B 

Biotech, Investments 

Switzerland 

#190 

55 CARL COOK 

$8 B 

Medical Devices 

United States 

#196 

75 MASSIMILIANA 

LANDINI ALEOTTI 

$7.9 B 


Italy 

#198 

65 PATRICK SOON- 

SHIONG 

$7.8 B 


United States 

#202 

59 SUN PIAOYANG 

$7.7 B 


China 

#211 

67 FREDERIK PAULSEN 

$7.3 B 

Health Care 

Sweden 

#274 

78 GUENTHER 

FIELMANN 

$6.3 B 

Optometry 

Germany 

#296 

76 WOLFGANG 

MARGUERRE 

$5.9 B 


Germany 

#315 

83 HANSJOERG WYSS 

$5.7 B 


Switzerland 

#382 

63 RONDA STRYKER 

$5.1 B 

Medical Equipment 

United States 

#388 

64 PANKAJ PATEL 

$5 B 


India 

#404 

62 AJAY PIRAMAL 

$4.9 B 


India 

#404 

63 REINHOLD 

SCHMIEDING 

$4.9 B 


United States 

#441 

74 BERNARD 

BROERMANN 

$4.7 B 

Hospitals 

Germany 

#441 

70 NIELS PETER LOUIS- 

HANSEN 

$4.7 B 


Denmark 

#466 

74 YE CHENGHAI 

$4.5 B 


Hong Kong 

#550 

40 OTTO PHILIPP 

BRAUN 

$4 B 

Medical Technology 

Germany 

#550 

91 TRAUDL 

ENGELHORN 

$4 B 

Pharmaceuticals, 


Germany 

#550 

76 B.R. SHETTY 

$4 B 

Healthcare 

India 

#572 

60 CHRISTOPH ZELLER 

$3.9 B 

Dental Implants 

Liechtenstein 

#606 

68 ANDREAS 

STRUENGMANN 

$3.7 B 


Germany 

#606 

68 THOMAS 

STRUENGMANN 

$3.7 B 


Germany 

#606 

66 TSE PING 

$3.7 B 


China 

#629 

60 CAO LONGXIANG 

$3.6 B 


China 

PHOTO BY MALZKORN/ULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGES 


PHOTO BY ABHIJIT BHATLEKAR/MINT VIA GETTY IMAGES; 

PHOTOGRAPHER: ANTOINE ANTONIOL/BLOOMBERG 

#629 

64 JIANG RENSHENG 

$3.6 B 

Vaccine Production 

China 

#629 

78 LIM SUNG-KI 

$3.6 B 


South Korea 

#629 

64 KIRAN MAZUMDAR- 

SHAW 

$3.6 B 

Biotech 

India 

#629 

73 XU JINGREN 

$3.6 B 


China 

#652 

52 CHEN BANG 

$3.5 B 

Hospitals 

China 

#679 

72 RUDOLF MAAG 

$3.4 B 


Switzerland 

#703 

83 JOHN BROWN 

$3.3 B 


United States 

#703 

61 PAT STRYKER 

$3.3 B 


United States 

#729 

80 ALAIN MERIEUX 

$3.2 B 


France 

#766 

54 CHENG CHEUNG 

LING 

$3.1 B 


China 

#791 

54 ANNE BEAUFOUR 

$3 B 


France 

#791 

52 HENRI BEAUFOUR 

$3 B 


France 

#791 

84 HASMUKH 

CHUDGAR 

$3 B 


India 

#791 

84 PRASERT 

PRASARTTONG-OSOTH 

$3 B 

Hospitals 

Thailand 

#822 

65 CAI DONGCHEN 

$2.9 B 


China 

#822 

63 KE ZUNHONG 

$2.9 B 


China 

#822 

64 RANDAL KIRK 

$2.9 B 


United States 

#822 

59 JON STRYKER 

$2.9 B 


United States 

#859 

73 KIEU HOANG 

$2.8 B 

Medical Products 

United States 

#859 

46 OSMAN KIBAR 

$2.8 B 

Biotech 

United States 

#887 

54 THOMAS 

STRAUMANN 

$2.7 B 

Dental Implants 

Switzerland 

#924 

81 PHILLIP FROST 

$2.6 B 


United States 

#924 

71 LUTZ MARIO 

HELMIG 

$2.6 B 

Hospitals 

Germany 

#924 

53 LAM KONG 

$2.6 B 


China 

#924 

54 GILLES MARTIN 

$2.6 B 

Laboratory Services 

France 

#924 

73 JORGE MOLL FILHO 

$2.6 B 

Hospitals 

Brazil 

#729 - Alain Merieux 

Alain Merieux is chairman of Institut Merieux, 

a medicine and public health conglomerate 

specializing in diagnostics, immunotherapy and 

nutrition. 

Alain founded BioMerieux, one of the firm’s publicly 

traded arms, which specializes in diagnostic tests for 

infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. 

The firm’s other publicly-traded subsidiary, Transgene, 

develops vaccines to combat infectious diseases. 

Alain’s third son Alexandre, who shares the fortune, 

was named CEO of BioMerieux in 2014. 

#404 - Ajay Piramal 

Ajay Piramal chairs Piramal Enterprises, a 

company with interests in pharma, healthcare 

and financial services. 

Piramal started out in his family’s textile 

business at age 22 in 1977 but went on to 

build a pharma empire through acquisitions. 

Piramal inked his biggest deal in 2010 when 

he sold his domestic formulations business to 

Abbott Labs for $3.8 billion. 

Piramal’s wife Swati is vice-chairman while 

his daughter Nandini and son Anand have 

board seats. 

#965 

59 P.V. RAMPRASAD 

REDDY 

$2.5 B 


India 

#965 

56 CARLOS SANCHEZ 

$2.5 B 

Generic Drugs 

Brazil 

#965 

52 ZHAO TAO 

$2.5 B 


Singapore 

#1020 

89 LUIGI ROVATI 

$2.4 B 


Italy 

#1020 

60 LEENA TEWARI 

$2.4 B 


India 


HEALTHCARE 

BILLIONAIRES 

#1070 

82 GUSTAVO DENEGRI 

$2.3 B 

Biotech 

Italy 

#1070 

66 MURALI DIVI 

$2.3 B 


India 

#1070 

61 BERNARD FRAISSE 

$2.3 B 


France 

#1070 

55 HU BAIFAN 

$2.3 B 


China 

#1103 

70 DULCE PUGLIESE DE 

GODOY BUENO 

$2.2 B 

Hospitals, Health Care 

Brazil 

#1103 

72 HEIKKI KYOSTILA 

$2.2 B 

Dental Products 

Finland 

#1103 

72 STEWART RAHR 

$2.2 B 

Drug Distribution 

United States 

#1157 

67 LI XITING 

$2.1 B 


China 

#1157 

63 MAJA OERI 

$2.1 B 

Roche Holding 

Switzerland 

#1157 

38 ALEXEY REPIK 

$2.1 B 


Russia 

#1215 

41 BERNHARD BRAUN- 

LUEDICKE 

$2 B 


Germany 

#1215 

31 EVA MARIA BRAUN- 

LUEDICKE 

$2 B 


Germany 

#1215 

34 FRIEDERIKE BRAUN- 

LUEDICKE 

$2 B 


Germany 

#1215 

47 DONG WEI 

$2 B 


China 

#1215 

73 ROBERT DUGGAN 

$2 B 


United States 

#1215 

56 HU KAIJUN 

$2 B 


China 

#1215 

62 RAMESH JUNEJA 

$2 B 


India 

#1103 - Stewart Rahr 

Stewart Rahr expanded Kinray, a pharmaceutical 

distributor his father founded in 1944 and sold it to 

Cardinal Health in 2010 for $1.3 billion in cash. 

Rahr is known for his extravagant lifestyle, which he 

funds through conservative investments in private 

equity, hedge funds and natural resources. 

After getting a bachelor’s in history at NYU, he briefly 

attended NYU Law before dropping out to run the 

family business. 

He has a sizable art collection that includes works by 

Picasso, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Alexander Calder. 

#1215 

51 LI GE 

$2 B 

Biotech 

China 

#1215 

48 MA XINGTIAN 

$2 B 


China 

#1215 

47 AMY WYSS 

$2 B 


United States 

#1215 

55 ZHU BAOGUO 

$2 B 


China 

#1284 

JEAN-PAUL AND 

MARTINE CLOZEL 

$1.9 B 


Switzerland 

#1339 

69 AN KANG 

$1.8 B 


China 

#1339 

39 ANNA MARIA 

BRAUN 

$1.8 B 


Germany 

#1339 

38 JOHANNA BRAUN 

$1.8 B 


Germany 

#1339 

35 KARL FRIEDRICH 

BRAUN 

$1.8 B 


Germany 

#1339 

74 JOHN KAPOOR 

$1.8 B 


United States 

#1339 

50 LI ZONGSONG 

$1.8 B 


China 

#1339 

71 WILLY MICHEL 

$1.8 B 


Switzerland 

#1339 

91 ALBERTO 

ROEMMERS 

$1.8 B 


Argentina 

#1339 

48 WU YULAN 

$1.8 B 


China 

#1339 

51 XU HANG 

$1.8 B 


China 

#1756 - Habil Khorakiwala 

Pharma tycoon Habil Khorakiwala chairs 

Wockhardt, one of India’s top makers of 

generic drugs. 

He founded Wockhardt in 1967 after 

breaking away from his family’s storied 

retailing empire. 

The company, run by his son Murtaza, 

gets 62% of its $640 million revenue from 

overseas markets. 

DID YOU KNOW... 

Daughter Zahabiya oversees the hospital 

arm while another son heads the charitable 

foundation. 

PHOTOGRAPHER: ARIEL JEROZOLIMSKI/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES 

PHOTO BY HEMANT MISHRA/MINT VIA GETTY IMAGES 


FORBES MIDDLE EAST // CORMEDICINE 

Rebuilding The 

Human Body 

Dr Nada Alaaeddine, founder of Cormedicine, the 

first clinic of regenerative medicine in Lebanon, 

is a pioneering professor and researcher on 

regenerative medicine—the first in the Middle 

East to optimize the technique of isolating stem 

cells from fat. 

A 

researcher with many international awards, Dr Alaaeddine 

has published more than 30 papers in high-impact 

renowned medical journals. An invited professor at CHUM, 

Montreal university, Canada, she also created and directed the 

laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Inflammation in the 

faculty of Medicine at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. 

What are the principles of regenerative medicine and 

what are the key benefits of this above conventional 

medicine and surgery? 

Regenerative medicine develops methods to regrow, repair or 

replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. This includes 

the generation and use of therapeutic stem cells, tissue engineering 

and the production of artificial organs. It seeks to replace tissue or 

organs that have been damaged by disease, trauma or congenital 

issues, as opposed to the current clinical strategy, which focuses 

primarily on treating the symptoms. 

Combinations of cell therapy and other medical approaches 

using the latest technology available in the field can help us 

amplify our natural healing process in the places it is needed most 

or take over the function of a permanently damaged organ. When 

injured or invaded by disease, our bodies have an innate response 

to heal and defend by using our own cells, proteins or platelets. 

The implications of advanced regenerative cell therapy on 

the future of human health and lifespan are monumental. 

Do you envisage a future without disease or early death? 

It is a wish for every person to have a world without disease 

but this is unlikely to be achieved. However, with regenerative 

medicine we think that many incurable diseases will be cured and 

every health issue will have a solution. The life span of people and 

quality of their life will be changed for the better. 

What do you hope will be COR Medicine’s next 

breakthrough? 

At COR Medicine we believe that every ailment has a cure with 

cell therapy. We hope that one day we will be able to harness the 

full healing power of platelets and stem cells to treat patients to 

repair organs and save lives. We want our clinic to be the first in 

the region to use cell therapies for healing and treating diseases 

or symptoms of diseases. 

With our doctors’ expertise, combined with knowhow of 

the cell technology, we plan on reaching a breakthrough in 

regenerative medicine. Cell therapy is one of the most promising 

techniques in our medical arsenal to repair damaged or destroyed 

tissue. We are combining conventional medicine with cell therapy, 

professionalism, honesty and transparency, and we will be the 

leading clinic in the region. 

What are your objectives and vision and what impact do 

you hope your research will have? 

I think by collaborative research and hard work we can offer 

therapies to patients with chronic debilitating disease or those 

who are not being helped by today’s medicine. 

The diseases which cell therapy can target are very varied: 

hormonal dysfunction, such as diabetes and growth hormone 

deficiency; neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, 

Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s; and cardiovascular lesions, such 

as myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular ischemia; as well as 

lesions in the cornea, skeletal muscle, skin, joints and bones etc. 

Every ailment has a cure with cell therapy. In the future we 

can offer a cure for most diseases, or a better quality of life for 

those who have lost hope. I think regenerative medicine is the 

future of medicine. 


HEALTHCARE 

BILLIONAIRES 

#1394 

28 LUDWIG THEODOR 

BRAUN 

$1.7 B 


Germany 

#1394 

67 CHEN XUELI 

$1.7 B 


China 

#1394 

81 YUSUF HAMIED 

$1.7 B 


India 

#1394 

69 GARY MICHELSON 

$1.7 B 

Medical Patents 

United States 

#1394 

56 WU GUANGMING 

$1.7 B 


China 

#1477 

65 LEI JUFANG 

$1.6 B 


China 

#1477 

54 LI LI 

$1.6 B 


China 

#1477 

67 SHIN DONG-GUK 

$1.6 B 


South Korea 

#1477 

46 YU RONG 

$1.6 B 

Health Clinics 

China 

#1561 

55 CHE FENGSHENG 

$1.5 B 


China 

#1561 

55 LI YIHAI 

$1.5 B 


China 

#1561 

54 QUE WENBIN 

$1.5 B 


China 

#1561 

41 SHAMSHEER 

VAYALIL 

$1.5 B 


India 

#1650 

54 DU WEIMIN 

$1.4 B 

Vaccines 

China 

#1650 

45 VIKTOR 

KHARITONIN 

$1.4 B 


Russia 

#1650 

72 JAMES LEININGER 

$1.4 B 

Medical Products 

United States 

#1650 

84 FORREST PRESTON 

$1.4 B 

Health Care 

United States 

#1650 

70 JERZY STARAK 

$1.4 B 


Poland 

#1650 

52 ZHU WENCHEN 

$1.4 B 


China 

#1756 

49 CHENG XIANFENG 

$1.3 B 


China 

#1756 

75 HABIL 

KHORAKIWALA 

$1.3 B 


India 

#1756 

78 MAHENDRA 

PRASAD 

$1.3 B 


India 

#1756 

65 LEONARD 

SCHLEIFER 

$1.3 B 


United States 

#1867 

77 BEDA DIETHELM 

$1.2 B 

Hearing Aids 

Switzerland 

#1867 

73 DENNIS GILLINGS 

$1.2 B 

Drug Testing 

United Kingdom 

#1867 

63 GUDRUN HEINE 

$1.2 B 


Germany 

#1867 

53 STEPHEN SAAD 

$1.2 B 


South Africa 

#1867 

77 BASUDEO SINGH 

$1.2 B 


India 

#1867 

92 SAMPRADA SINGH 

$1.2 B 


India 

#1867 

80 SYBILL STORZ 

$1.2 B 


Germany 

#1867 

68 

WU YILING 

$1.2 B 


China 

#1867 

63 

XIU LAIGUI 

$1.2 B 


China 

#1867 

55 

VADIM YAKUNIN 

$1.2 B 

Pharmacy 

Russia 

#1756 - Leonard Schleifer 

Leonard Schleifer cofounded drugmaker 

Regeneron in 1988, and remains CEO of 

the Tarrytown, New York company. 

Schleifer took Regeneron public in 1991; he 

owns about 2% of the company. 

He attended Cornell on scholarship and 

dreamed of a medical career. 

Regeneron, ranked third on the Forbes list 

of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, 

has developed six FDA-approved medicines. 

#1999 

71 

CHIRAYU AMIN 

$1.1 B 


India 

#1999 

61 

MEHMET AYDINLAR 

$1.1 B 

Hospitals 

Turkey 

#1999 

53 

LI TAN 

$1.1 B 


China 

#1999 

66 

JOHN MARTIN 

$1.1 B 


United States 

#1999 

52 

YVES-LOIC MARTIN 

$1.1 B 

Laboratory Services 

France 

#1999 

67 

SATISH MEHTA 

$1.1 B 


India 

#1999 

64 

ANALJIT SINGH 

$1.1 B 


India 

#2124 

60 

MAURIZIO BILLI 

$1 B 

Generic Drugs 

Brazil 

#2124 

56 

JIANG WEI 

$1 B 


China 

PHOTO BY VICTOR HUGO/PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY IMAGES 


FORBES MIDDLE EAST // BEIRUT DENTAL CLINIC 

A passion for dentistry keeps 

Dr Kalouche, founder of Beirut 

Dental Clinic, planning ahead. 

A specialized cosmetic and 

restorative dentist, high demand 

in Lebanon keeps his team busy. 

The Art Of A Perfect Smile 

When and why did you set up your clinic? Was it always your 

plan to become a dentist? 

In 1993, I took the first step towards my goal. Right after my 

graduation, I decided to open my first clinic in Lebanon. Being a 

dentist was always my goal, as it combines two different worlds: 

art and medicine. I’ve always been passionate about fine arts, 

so this combination was the perfect vision I had for my career, 

especially being a Prosthodontist. 

How much is the industry worth in Lebanon and why do you 

think it has grown in popularity? 

The market in Lebanon is a huge one, especially because we 

are known to be one of the leading countries when it comes to 

medical and dental tourism. We have Lebanese and international 

patients coming to us from all over the world due to the quality 

of services on offer, as well as the fair prices for which they can 

get their teeth done. 

Self-quality control also makes us one of the leading Middle 

East countries when it comes to dental expertise. Add to this the 

fact that with social media influencing people’s lives, patients 

care more nowadays about aesthetics, which of course widens 

our market as cosmetic dentists. 

What are some of the latest technologies changing cosmetic 

dentistry? 

New technology is always present in our clinic, and we’re proud 

to be the first fully digital clinic in Lebanon. We take care to 

always be the first to introduce new equipment and technologies 

at our clinic. In the late 90s, we were one of the first to introduce 

digital X-rays. And now, we are happy to introduce the latest 

version of digital intra-oral scanners (digital impressions), 

smile design and 3D scanners (CBCT). That way we can plan 

everything ahead of time for the patient with minimal risk of 

failure or modification in the treatment. 

How many international patients do you have and why do 

they travel to your clinic? 

Around 50% of our patients are foreigners and expats for many 

reasons. Our newest branch in Dbayeh, like my clinic in Verdun, 

is equipped with the latest technologies and we have a group of 

distinguished specialists to make sure our patients get the fastest 

and most efficient treatment. Not to mention that we are affiliated 

with a hotel located in the same building for people wishing to 

explore Lebanon and not just visit for dental treatment. 

What plans do you have for expansion? 

I always have plans for expansion. I started alone in 1993 in 

Jdeideh, then opened a new branch in Verdun, which is one of 

the busiest areas in Beirut, where my team started to expand to 

engage all the specialties. Now we are proud to have opened our 

new dental polyclinic in Dbayeh. We have future plans to expand 

outside Lebanon. 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY 

On The Road To An 

Autonomous Future 

AI is being embraced across the world to speed up treatments 

and save lives, with many companies using intelligent 

algorithms to revolutionize our healthcare systems. 

By Dr. Sana Farid, CEO of Munfarid Consulting Co. 

During the second world war a great 

scientist broke a labyrinth code 

of a mechanical device, used by 

the German army to send coded 

messages. Its name was Enigma and the scientist 

who deciphered the mystery behind it was Alan 

Turing, a computer scientist, mathematician, 

logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and a 

theoretical biologist. 

With the help of his codebreaking 

machine, the British 

army was able to decode 

up to 4,000 messages a day, 

consequently leading to the end 

of the war. In an unprecedented 

display of intelligence, Turing 

had established how machines 

could be used intelligently 

to ease the human effort and 

benefit mankind. Since then, 

Turing and his love for machines 

have been widely acknowledged. 

Today, he is known as the father 

of modern computer science. 

The heroic tale of Turing’s 

work and his belief in the 

potential of a machine isn’t 

alienated from a modernday 

tech lover’s belief in 

Artificial Intelligence (AI). The 

developments in AI are much in 

sync with what the scientist had 

expected when he said, “What 

we want is a machine that can 

learn from experience.” 

AI advocates achieving 

human-level performance 

in cognitive tasks through 

intelligent behavior. We’ve all 

seen our devices perform a 

multitude of tasks efficiently. 

However, most of those are 

computed tasks. One step ahead, 

AI allows the amalgamation of 

human brilliance and machine 

excellence to predict future 

behaviors. 

If you’re friends with Alexa, 

Siri, Cortana and Watson, wait 

until you experience advanced 

AI. These renowned AI chatbots 

are just where the penetration 

of AI in our lives started. There’s 

a phenomenal progression 

happening in the field and 

healthcare is an important 

domain to discuss. 

Helping patients to get better access to 

premium health care, AI is improving diagnosis, 

treatment and the healing journey of many. It 

has a great potential to provide faster and safer 

care and many companies around the globe are 

harnessing its capacity to improve human life 

and save patients from life-threatening diseases. 

Many companies in the Middle East 

BY ROMASET / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 


BY DROP OF LIGHT ; BY DROP OF LIGHT / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 

SAMIR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE / GETTYIMAGES 

are showing an unparalleled speed of 

progress. In an evolving economic scene, 

governments are extending support in 

rebuilding the Middle East by focusing on 

modern autonomous technologies like AI, 

VR and AR. 

Among other future-focused Middle 

East countries, Dubai is keen to speed 

up government efficiency and enhance a 

creative environment by investing in AI, 

launching the U.A.E. Strategy for Artificial 

Intelligence in 2017. “The strategy is oneof-its-kind 

in the entire world to enhance 

government performance,” says Dr. Mazin 

Gadir, PhD MSc BEng, Senior Consultant 

and Advisor at The Executive Office for 

Organizational Transformation at Dubai 

Health Authority (DHA). 

Having recently signed an MoU 

between DHA and e-health and digital 

solutions provider, Agfa HealthCare, 

Gadir is now planning to use the 

partnership to implement AI for x-ray 

imaging. Agfa HealthCare’s Enterprise 

Imaging platform will use AI for fast 

Helping patients to get better 

access to premium health care, AI is 

improving diagnosis, treatment and 

the healing journey of many. 

image analysis, automated reports and 

improved clinical efficiency. The move will 

benefit patients on a day-to-day basis and 

revolutionize the way in which radiology 

imaging is done, generating automated 

reports for doctors and reducing the time 

taken for the overall process. 

AI is no longer a dreamy future, but a 

living reality, with the AI-age thriving on 

a mutually beneficial symbiosis between 

humans and machines. Here’s a roundup 

of some companies that are revolutionizing 

healthcare worldwide, dealing with the 

best of both worlds. 

Atomwise—Using AI for medical research 

and development, Atomwise predicts the 

future of potential medicines, significantly 

reducing the cost, time and effort of 

clinical trials. The company has discovered 

two drugs that may reduce Ebola 

infectivity, with the analysis of the drugs 

completed in less than a day, a process that 

usually takes months. 

BioBeats—With AI-based applications and 

tools, BioBeats uses intelligent algorithms to 

provide comprehensive insight and support 

to its users. Analyzing heart rate variability, 

brain function, sleep, and activity, users can 

spot harmful patterns in their lifestyles and 

make changes to improve productivity and 

lead a happier life. 

Careskore—This cloud-based predictive 

analysis platform determines the 

possibility of a patient being readmitted to 

hospital. Careskore garnered $4.3 million 

for financing in August 2016. The platform 

also notifies users about risks associated 

with their health. 

Enlitic—Using deep learning to analyze 

previously available data from radiology 

images and using it on new medical 

cases, Enlitic speeds up medical imaging 

analysis by up to 10,000 times, making it 

an important breakthrough for medical 

radiologists. It is 50% more efficient at 

analyzing malignant tumors and has no 

case of missed cancer detection, against 7% 

for humans. 

Google Deepmind 

Health—Google 

launched Deepmind 

Health to mine medical 

records. Able to process 

thousands of pieces of 

data within minutes, 

it uses AI to find new 

ways to diagnose 

disease. Partnering with hospitals, Google 

Deepmind ensures that data analysis is 

used for practical benefits, saving many 

human lives. 

IBM WatsonPaths—This new cognitive 

computer project takes physicians closer 

to technology, allowing a better analysis of 

data and electronic medical records. Using 

AI, physicians are able to make faster and 

more informed decisions. Also known as 

a doctor’s digital assistant, it is being used 

by medical students at Cleveland Clinic to 

solve medical case studies. 

Oncora Medical—Upgrading cancer 

research and treatment, this data analytics 

platform helps physicians develop 

sound radiation treatment programs for 

patients. Radiation oncologists can use an 

integrated digital database to regulate the 

amount of radiation for cancer treatment. 

This helps them to use past records and 

extend personalized support to every 

patient. 

Office Culture 

Unhealthy 

At the World Government Summit in 

February 2018, Ariana Huffington, 

co-founder of The Huffington Post and 

CEO of Thrive Global, called on women 

to redesign their working lives and put 

an end to an office culture that rewards 

people for not taking care of themselves 

or their health. 

“We are working in a world where to 

be constantly ‘switched on’ is rewarded, 

where burnout equals success, where 

we forget to recharge ourselves but 

not our phones, where we take better 

care of our devices than ourselves, a 

world where we are losing sleep and 

our humanity—and this is clearly not 

working,” said Huffington. 

87% 

employees are disengaged at work 

Burnt-out employees are 

30% 

more likely to quit their jobs 

75% 

of all healthcare costs and issues 

are stress-related and therefore 

preventable 

Women in high-pressured jobs have a 

40% 

greater risk of heart disease and 

60% 

greater risk of diabetes 


FORBES MIDDLE EAST // TURKEYANA CLINIC 

Be As You Like 

“Be as You like.” It’s a simple phrase. Maybe even a bit 

simplistic. But it is at the core of how we operate at Turkeyana 

Clinic. These four words dictate our strategy, our approach 

to service, and our approach to communications. Our goal 

is to be clear, transparent and straightforward. 

2017 was a remarkable year in the business world on 

many fronts. The global health tourism business is a $300 

billion market, which is expected to increase to $500 billion 

in the next three to four years; it will reach $1 trillion after 

2023.Turkey obtains revenue of $2.3-3 billion from health 

tourism, and the country is predicted to raise this figure to 

around $5 billion by 2020. 

Our company was one of the few that demonstrated 

outstanding growth in 2017. Why? Because “Be as you 

like.” are not just words on paper—they describe how we 

operate every day. We firmly believe that hours of hard 

work, lots of effort and commitment will bring any idea 

to life. 

Who We Are 

We are located in Istanbul Turkey, and carry out hair 

transplants, plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry. Aiming 

for excellency, we took our first steps by choosing the best 

hospitals to work with, starting from the most beautiful 

state-run educational hospitals, to the first-class private 

hospitals, which are equipped with the latest medical 

technologies and highly-experienced medical teams and 

doctors. 

We vow to achieve the best results for our patients to 

exceed their expectations and provide exceptional medical 

care. Our patients’ satisfaction was, is and always will be 

our priority. A new look for a new life, “To be as You like.” 

Turkeyana aims to be the first choice that comes to 

mind whenever you think of a perfect vision of yourself. To 

see yourself differently and to have the confidence you’ve 

always sought. You matter, and it means a lot to us that you 

feel amazed whenever you look at yourself in the mirror 


and full of joy that your dreams have come true. 

We have expanded to 87 countries around the world, 

providing services through 100 professional consultants 

working 24/7 to answer all your questions and concerns in 

seven international languages. Turkeyana Clinic’s Medical 

Board Members are concerned with every detail that 

matters, trying to reach all your expectations to give the 

best results in beauty and health. 

With over 15 years of professional experience, 

today Turkeyana Clinic provides more than 15,000 free 

consultations every month for customers all around the 

world, and proudly offers more than 350 hair transplants, 

and carries out more than 70 plastic surgeries and 30 

cosmetic dentistry procedures, providing its services. 

Turkeyana Clinic aims to provide for your cosmetic 

needs, whether you’re looking for a hair transplant, 

plastic surgery or cosmetic dentistry. Hair transplants 

in Turkeyana Clinic are provided with the best and latest 

medical techniques, such as FUE, DHI and Robotic hair 

transplants. We also provide for all your needs in cosmetic 

dentistry, whether you’re looking for a Hollywood smile, 

dental treatment, or teeth implants, using the best Swiss 

and German materials, to give you the best results, beautiful 

looks and healthy teeth. 

In plastic surgery, we offer our cosmetic services in 

both surgical and non-surgical procedures. 

Non-surgical procedures—tsuch as Botox, fillers, 

mesotherapy, silhouette soft facelift, chemical peeling and 

plasma-rich platelet (PRP) treatment—tare considered to 

be one of the most critical choices in the cosmetic field and 

provides a beautiful solution for treatment that improves 

appearance and overall shape without the need for surgical 

operation. We also provide surgical procedures, such as 

facelifts, ear surgery, rhinoplasty, breast implants, breast 

augmentation, breast reduction, breast lifts, gynecomastia, 

abdominal surgery, abdominal etching, liposuction, tummy 

tucks, fat injection, butt reduction, butt augmentation and 

body lifts. 

Why do thousands of clients choose us? 

We give more than 500 personal and professional free 

consultations every day, looking after our clients’ health 

and giving them their dream looks. We can answer all your 

concerns and put your mind on ease, providing you with 

full-year medical care that puts you first and embraces your 

self- satisfaction as a priority. 

“Be as You like” is not just a couple of words on a paper. 

We mean it. 



Accuracy Matters 

Will robots and AI technology replace our 

surgeons in the future? Unlikely, but we’re happy 

they are around to guide them. 

By Inga Louisa Stevens 

Earlier this year, Mediclinic City Hospital in 

Dubai, U.A.E. conducted the first roboticassisted 

knee surgeries in the Middle 

East, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

technology to conduct the partial and total knee 

replacements on two patients. The private hospital, 

which is part of Mediclinic International, is one of 

many regional healthcare facilities taking part in 

a growing trend of investment into future AI tools 

that will add precision and accuracy in surgery. 

The uptake in the use of cutting-edge surgical 

robots and the increasing application of AI 

technologies in healthcare has been very visible, 

particularly in the U.A.E., since the launch of the 

U.A.E. Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in 2017; 

a major initiative within the U.A.E. Centennial 

2071 objectives. The strategy aims to make 

the country a world leader in the field of AI 

investments in healthcare in order to minimize 

chronic and dangerous diseases. The U.A.E 

has also appointed its first AI minister to 

implement this vision. 

For Dr Ali Al Belooshi,—who along with 

his colleague Dr Saeed AlThani, both consultant 

orthopaedic surgeons at Mediclinic City 

Hospital, conducted the robotic-assisted knee 

surgeries—while the technical question we 

should be asking ourselves is “Do we control 

surgical variables with a robot?”, the essential 

question is whether or not the control of these 

variables actually impacts clinical outcomes for the 

patients. “After all, in surgery, it is accuracy that 

really matters,” he explains. 

The numbers back him up. Recent studies are 

demonstrating superior short-term survivorship for 

robotic-assisted partial knee replacement, with only 

a 1% revision rate at two years after operation (four 

times lower than that of conventional techniques). 

As well as short-term functional gains when 

compared to manually-implanted partial knees, 

studies show that patients have less pain in the 

first 60 days after the procedure compared to the 

conventional technique. 

BY SCIENCE PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 


“Using a robotics-assisted hand piece 

such as the NAVIO Surgical System enables 

a surgeon to plan the surgery accurately 

intraoperative, position the implants, 

and reduce the risk of errors during the 

procedure while decreasing the length of 

time it takes for a patient to recover,” says 

Dr Al Belooshi. 

“The future of health and science is 

going to revolutionize the way surgeons 

like myself work, as technology like this 

will help us be at the forefront of research 

and education when it comes to the science 

of knee replacement surgery. Also, we can 

provide this cutting-edge technology to 

our patients so they do not need to travel 

abroad seeking such services.” 

The NAVIO Surgical System, created 

by Smith & Nephew, works in conjunction 

with the surgeon’s hands to achieve the 

precise positioning of the knee implant 

based on each patient’s unique anatomy. 

This added level of accuracy can help 

improve the function, feel and potential 

longevity of the partial knee implant. It 

provides robotic assistance through an 

advanced computer program that relays 

precise information about the patient’s knee 

to a robotics-assisted hand piece used by the 

surgeon during the procedure. By collecting 

patient-specific information, boundaries 

are established for the hand piece so the 

surgeon can remove the damaged surfaces 

of the knee, balance the joint, and position 

the implant with greater precision. 

Today’s medical robots have come 

a long way from the bulky pieces of 

equipment that were hard to manipulate 

and took up enormous amounts of space 

in the surgical theatre. Dr Rolf Hartung, 

who is the medical director of Mediclinic 

City Hospital, explains: “I have worked with 

robots in the past that looked completely 

different—they looked similar to robots 

used in the car industry. They disappeared 

from the market, as there was not enough 

volume of surgery in those days. Today, 

our surgeons have conducted hundreds 

of successful surgeries using these new, 

incredibly sophisticated robots to guide 

them and now that the market is open, 

smaller robots and other robotic-assisted 

tools could be developed to be used by the 

surgeons in the future.” 

Will AI eventually replace human 

physicians in the future? According to 

Hartung, the master-slave system ensures 

that this will never be the case. “The master 

is still the surgeon; the human takes the 

decision and uses AI to end up with a better 

outcome. The technology allows us to be 

more precise.” 

From a regulators point of view, it is 

not about investing in technology just for 

the sake of investing in it—it has to add 

value. “This means improving patient 

satisfaction, reducing pain, reducing cost 

and improving the clinical outcome and 

overall patient experience. So if a surgery 

costs the same while actually improving 

outcomes, this is the ultimate goal from a 

regulatory perspective,” says Dr Haider Al 

Yousuf, director of public health funding at 

the Dubai Health Authority. 

The direction of the government is very 

clear—it is for Dubai to be one of the best 

health systems in the world. “You cannot 

get there by following. You have to lead, 

innovate and challenge the norms. You need 

to actually leap ahead,” adds Al Yousuf. 

For private medical technology 

companies such as GE Healthcare, their 

focus is on Applied Intelligence. This is a 

step away from a general AI approach by 

taking a very specific problem statement 

such as solving the needs of a hospital and 

the patients. “For example, as a radiologist, 

I am looking at an X-ray scan, and I am 

asking the AI if this particular area of 

the lung looks normal. So it is a very 

specific application of a general artificial 

intelligence. This allows us to focus our 

energy and to reduce the amount of data 

generated to concentrate on that particular 

outcome,” says Rajat Karol, who is the 

general manager of GE Healthcare Digital, 

Eastern Growth Markets & Africa. 

In fact, GE’s new strategy for 2018 

is Precision Healthcare—how to make 

healthcare more precise. According to 

Karol, medicine today is like throwing 

darts at a board and seeing what sticks, 

which he explains can be harmful from a 

patient perspective, and from a healthcare 

provider’s perspective can lead to 

unnecessary expense. 

“We are using AI to create products 

that allow you to accurately and efficiently 

diagnose, but causes minimum harm,” 

Karol explains. “This is our whole model 

of Applied Intelligence and we are trying 

to apply it to make our products work in 

the best possible way, to provide the best 

possible outcome.” 

INNOVATORS 

WebTEB 

Medical And Health 

Information Platform 

Founder: Majed Abukhater, 

Mahmoud Kaiyal 

Funding: $7M 

Country: Palestine 

Founded: 2011 

Investors: Siraj Palestine Fund, 

Middle East Medical Technology, 

Middle East Venture Capital 

Palestine-based WebTeb is 

an online medical and health 

information platform. The startup 

provides comprehensive healthrelated 

information in Arabic, 

connecting users to healthcare 

providers such as doctors, 

clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, 

pharmaceutical and insurance 

companies. Co-founded by 

Mahmoud Kaiyal and CEO Majed 

Abukhater in 2011, WebTeb 

has to date raised $7 million in 

funding. 

Personal Note 

Before co-founding WebTeb, 

Majed Abukhater worked 

with Uber and was their first 

employee in the Middle East, 

launching operations in the 

U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia. 



Mobile Medicine 

Telehealth tools are starting to bring our GPs to our telephones, and 

unsurprisingly it’s the start-up ecosystem leading the charge. 

By Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi* 

With technology increasingly 

dominating our lives, we often find 

ourselves trying to decipher a barrage 

of new buzzwords. One of these is ‘telehealth’. Not 

only does this term remain an enigma to most 

of us, but more significantly we are yet to figure 

out how to take advantage of its enormous and 

enabling implications that promise to transform 

our lives. 

From healthcare advisory to virtual imaging 

and enabling CT scans to be reviewed remotely, 

through to patient diagnosis, videoconferencing 

and monitoring, we already have access to an 

arsenal of cutting-edge telehealth tools that could 

soon become integral aspects of a patient’s journey 

to good health. 

In the most basic sense, telehealth or 

telemedicine is described as “the provision 

of healthcare remotely by means of 

telecommunications technology”. Given its 

*Marwan is the Executive Director of Dubai Science Park and chairing Member of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment Taskforce of the Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030. 

BY VERBASKA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 


considerable potential, it is no surprise 

that entrepreneurs in the U.A.E., and 

elsewhere in the world, are keen to tap 

into this global $4.5 billion market, 

riding the wave of the “connected care” 

revolution. 

A recent report by Deloitte found 

that globally the uptake for telehealth 

is on the rise and that by 2018, 65% of 

interactions with healthcare facilities 

will occur via mobile devices. Some 

80% of doctors already use smartphones 

and medical apps in the provision of 

healthcare. On paper, this seems like a 

marriage made in heaven. 

So, on one hand, we have the 

innovators that continue to bring 

apps to the marketplace, and on the 

other we see healthcare providers and 

large corporates eager to use the most 

advanced platforms to improve their 

patient and customer experiences by 

offering healthcare services at the click 

of a button. 

Encouragingly, at the same time, 

we also find ourselves becoming 

increasingly tech-savvy, enjoying 

unprecedented rates of internet 

penetration, which holds particularly 

true for Dubai where internet 

penetration rates are said to exceed 90%. 

This is further amplified by the fact that 

most of us not only own one, but two 

smartphones. 

Given this bright prospect, why is it 

that we are still consulting our general 

practitioner for minor illnesses? Why 

are we still finding ourselves stuck in traffic on the way to 

hospital after work? Why are we still spending considerable 

time in Dubai’s immaculate waiting rooms? 

The answer is simple. We are yet to hear about the pathbreaking 

services that are out there. 

Telehealth will continue to improve patient services 

across the board, and 2018 will most likely be the year when 

virtual doctors go mainstream. The proliferation of online 

health portals and mobile health apps will enable people to 

access medical advice from home or from the office through 

their laptops, tablets or smartphones. As technologies 

mature, patients will have the option to connect with a wide 

range of healthcare professionals without leaving the house. 

This will hopefully help increase early diagnosis of medical 

conditions, as people are less likely to procrastinate in 

contacting a virtual doctor than a real-life one. 

This belief was reinvigorated recently when Dubai 

Science Park hosted one of its regular business partner 

breakfasts in partnership with in5, a start-up incubator 

GLOBAL STATISTICS 

Worldwide revenue for telehealth 

devices and services was 

$4.5 billion 

in 2018 

The number of patients using 

telehealth will rise to 

7 million 

in 2018 

60% 

of U.S. millennials are interested 

in telehealth 

6 BENEFITS OF 

TELEHEALTH 

Immediate access to specialised 

consultation 

Reduces the transfer time of 

patients to hospital 

Saves travel time for patients and 

professionals 

Reduces cost of healthcare 

Increases patient satisfaction with 

services 

Doctors can consult with multiple 

specialists through Dubai 

RoboDoc 

According to issue 72 of Better Health, a report 

conducted by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) 

and Government of Dubai (2018). 

launched by TECOM Group, with the 

aim of bringing together stakeholders 

from the government, academia and 

industry to discuss the latest trends in 

life-science, energy and environment 

sectors. 

Presenting at the event was Ahmad 

Al-Hidiq, co-founder of HeyDoc!, 

a Dubai-based and in5 incubated 

healthcare startup, offering a health 

communications platform that connects 

patients struggling with non-urgent 

health issues with doctors. 

The startup founder, which facilitates 

online medical advisories for fees 

ranging between $20-$40 per advisory, 

noticed that patients have created 

informal communications channels with 

doctors and practitioners by phone, 

email or via WhatsApp messages for 

medical advice and to gain second 

opinions. 

The app, which seeks to 

streamline these channels through 

a communications platform, allows 

patients to share content across text 

messages, images, voice and video 

notes with qualified doctors all over 

the world. The results are impressive. 

The startup found that 78% of queries 

could be solved without the patient ever 

stepping into a practitioner’s office or a 

hospital. Unsurprisingly, the startup has 

a global focus and is transferable to all 

geographies, allowing doctors and users 

from around the world to connect with 

one another. 

Ensuring a global reach as a telehealth provider 

makes perfect sense when looking at the numbers. Dubai 

Health Authority estimates that the worldwide revenue for 

telehealth devices and services will reach the $4.5 billion 

mark in 2018, and the number of patients using these 

services will rise to seven million—with millennials leading 

the charge. 

The benefits of increasing our adoption of telemedicine 

across the healthcare spectrum are clear. Patients now can 

have instant access to specialised consultations and subject 

matter experts. It reduces costs for hospitals and insurers, 

saves travel time, increases patient satisfaction and reduces 

the overall healthcare burden on the government and 

employers. And, this is still only the beginning. 

Dubai is fostering an environment that is conducive 

to business growth and enables start-ups to flourish and 

maximise their potential at every stage of their life cycle. As 

the number of telehealth start-ups increases, Dubai and the 

U.A.E can join the global conversation on telehealth. 



AI And Robotics Roadmap 

With any transformation, the first step 

is realization and acceptance of the 

need to change. The next—and more 

complex—step is to successfully implement 

that change. The adoption of the technological 

opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence 

(AI) in healthcare is no different. 

In the Middle East, we’ve seen that over 65% 

of people are open to the use of AI and robotics 

to cater to many of their healthcare needs. This 

sends a clear and positive message that the 

public is ready to embrace the advancements in 

technology that are here now in order to obtain 

better and more personalized care. 

The public’s readiness raises new questions 

to a different audience: healthcare business 

leaders. If the readiness to embrace AI and 

robotics in healthcare exists, and the landscape 

for doing so is favorable, what are healthcare 

leaders doing to embrace and positively 

lead this disruption? And how can they 

ensure changes to their organizations will be 

implemented smoothly, safely, successfully and 

in a way that retains public faith in something 

that will radically change the face of health 

provision forever? 

These are questions that must be addressed 

quickly, because the world will not stand still 

on the adoption of AI and robotics, and it is 

making headway. Research by CBI Insights 

found that some of the world’s top 100 AI 

startups—the AI 100—had already raised a 

combined $11.7 billion in equity funding last 

year alone. In healthcare specifically, investors 

had poured over $1.79 billion in acquisitions 

and funding for 106 AI startups in healthcare 

in the first quarter of 2017. In trying to 

understand the business readiness of healthcare 

leaders in the region, we have seen that while 

over 60% of leaders think AI and robotics 

will have a major impact on their business 

in 10 years, less than 20% are actually doing 

something about it. 

Powered with the knowledge that the public 

is ready, and with a young, digitally-connected 

and adept population, our region is in a unique 

position to capitalize on AI and robotics in 

healthcare and has been given new hope to 

tackle some of the biggest obstacles facing the 

health sector, including the struggle to attract 

and retain a sustainable clinical workforce. The 

pace and agility of healthcare leaders’ response 

to the opportunities presented before them will 

determine whether they will be paving the way 

for others or end up playing catch up. 

The need for ‘now’ has led us to build on 

our thought leadership from last year. Through 

new research we have identified seven key areas 

that healthcare businesses need to consider 

if they are to successfully implement AI and 

Robotics. 

These allow us to actualize the impact of 

these technological advancements, making 

what we once considered virtual, our new 

reality. 

Leadership and Culture: Transformation 

requires the shedding of legacy thinking. To 

truly embrace AI, healthcare leaders have to 

understand technology and be capable of using 

it. They have to look forward and see what is 

possible, not over their shoulder at what was 

done before. They must embrace big data and 

be decisive in decision making. They must 

never lose sight of the need for compassion and 

emotional intelligence to remain immovable 

pillars of true healthcare. And even if they have 

all these qualities, they have to create a culture 

that is supportive of it. 

Workforce Transformation: Physical 

environments will change. New ways of 

working will have to be embraced. Workers 

will have to be prepared to learn new skills and 

recognize which tasks cannot be replicated by 

machines. Crucially, this transformation has to 

embed the message that AI has the potential to 

be a job-creator, not a job-taker, and open the 

HAMISH CLARK, PARTNER, MIDDLE EAST HEALTH INDUSTRIES AT PWC 


Research has shown that 

patients are ready and 

willing to let robots into 

theatre. 

BY MASTER VIDEO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 

door to increased efficiency, greater focus on pure patient care, 

and skills development. 

Clinical Effectiveness: Healthcare providers must target their 

AI and robotics investments into areas that bring the greatest 

patient benefit, not just through analyzing successful examples 

of implementation, but assessing their transferability, and 

capitalizing on the opportunity that Big Data offers to increase 

patients’ involvement in determining their own care pathways. 

Commercial Investment: AI has the potential to add 

trillions of dollars to the global economy through increasing 

productivity and catalyzing shifts in consumer demand and 

behavior. But companies can only translate AI into financial 

gain if they define how to use it to drive growth, provide new 

services, and improve the overall customer experience. In 

investment terms, they must know where to start, and what 

their endgame is. 

Public Readiness: As our research has shown, Middle East 

patients are willing to see AI integrated into healthcare. But 

healthcare providers have to understand the drivers of this 

attitude, the specific areas in which people hope or expect 

AI to benefit them, the desire not to lose healthcare’s human 

touch, and the imperative of retaining trust in transformation. 

Regulation: Even if healthcare businesses can match AI’s pace, 

regulation can be left lagging. As providers recognize how to 

protect themselves in the interim, Middle East governments 

have a chance to set a global benchmark for the promotion of 

patient safety and the encouragement of innovation. A balance 

between dynamism and good governance has to be struck. 

Ethics and Confidentiality: While healthcare providers need 

to be agile in the integration of AI, they cannot afford to lose 

sight of the need to avoid bias, protect social equality, build 

trust through transparency, and consider the consent clauses 

they will build into their systems in order to fully use future 

AI technologies. 

AI comes with a lot of hype but none of it unsubstantiated— 

in fact, it represents a $320 billion opportunity for the region. It 

represents not only one of the most potentially radical drivers 

of change that the region has ever experienced, but also one of 

the most exciting. But behind this excitement is the reality—the 

reality of integration, implementation, checks and balances, 

data analysis, strategy definition, investment focus, workforce 

management. If AI and robotics are the gleaming bodywork, the 

seven themes outlined here are the engine that gives it direction 

and purpose. 

Public willingness to embrace AI and robotics as a central 

strand of the future of healthcare is clear across the Middle 

East. If the region’s healthcare businesses are to ensure this is 

a lasting perspective, rather than an ephemeral one, they will 

have to recognize, understand and be tested by the machinery 

of unprecedented transformation. 


GUIDE 2018 HEALTHCARE LIFESTYLE 

Be Well, 

Be Successful 

Making small changes to your 

routine can have a profound 

influence on energy levels and 

general health, which will naturally 

boost performance in the office. 

Nutrition and environment are two 

things to be aware of—but always 

consult a doctor regarding any diet 

or lifestyle changes. 

By Tim Garrett, Founder of Corporate Wellness Co. 

Corporate wellness has fast been gaining popularity 

across the world, with some forecasts estimating that 

it will become an $8 billion market globally by the end 

of 2018. Although still small, the MENA corporate wellness 

market has experienced 40% year-on-year growth over the last 

three years, picking up $11 million of the market share. 

Working in the Middle East has its own unique and varied 

stressors for the businesspeople based here, including being 

away from extended families and long working hours. However, 

one of the biggest issues is stress. This can come from one or 

a combination of sources, and lead to problems such as an 

underactive thyroid, hormone imbalance or adrenal fatigue. 

If you can reduce your stress levels and control your diet, your 

healthy hormones will increase, and that’s the foundation for a 

long, healthy life, free from disease. The inherent problem is that 

business leaders in the region are doing the exact opposite, and 

that can have a profound effect on one’s energy and focus, as well 

as making them vulnerable to anxiety and depression. 

Keeping an eye on and taking care of your thyroid is a 

powerful tool. The thyroid hormones are incredibly protective, 

acting as a switch for nearly every health process in the body. 

A low thyroid, typically known as chronic fatigue syndrome, 

can be a real problem. However, it is possible to boost thyroid 

hormones through a controlled diet. There are certain musthave 

ingredients that should be consumed to produce adequate 

thyroid hormones. Without them a process can begin whereby 

the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are produced, 

which kill the body’s tissues while creating sugar to manufacture 

thyroid hormones. 

To begin with make sure you get enough cholesterol from 

saturated fat. Great examples of this are beef, lamb, milk, eggs, 

cheese, coconut oil, butter and ghee (especially if organic 

because the fat in these foods will be clean and nontoxic). 

Also, getting enough quality, easily-usable sugar is an energy 

boosting practice that can deliver quick results. When sugar is 

used by cells without causing an unhealthy blood sugar spike 

or a build-up of endotoxin in the gut, it can boost energy and 

performance. Three great sources of easily-usable sugar are 

high-quality orange juice, red grape juice and tropical fruits. 

These juices not only have a lot of easily-usable sugar, but 

also potassium, which can be more powerful than insulin 

in helping the body use sugar effectively. Enough protein— 

around 80 grams a day (equivalent to two chicken breasts)— 

from a source that doesn’t cause an overproduction of 

endotoxin in the gut is another essential ingredient, with the 

best sources being gelatine, beef, lamb, milk, eggs or cheese. 

The right nutrients are the building or repair blocks for 

a body that is bombarded by stress all day, but there are 

also some external factors that can be considered to create 

a healthy and happy office. The outdoors and activity are 

vital, so get a view of nature or the outside world if possible 

or go for a walk at lunchtime. If this is not possible, having 

pictures of nature, the desert or animals in the office has 

been shown to boost productivity and decrease sick days; 

natural materials like green walls and exposed wood have 

been shown to have the same effect. And stimulate exercise 

by putting signs near the entrance to the stairs encouraging 

their use. 

BY FIZKES / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 




Clinical Decision Support Systems 

In The Era Of AI 

Would you be happy to fly in a plane 

without a pilot? Or travel in a 

driverless car? Would a human 

backup make any difference in your comfort 

level? Apply the same thought to healthcare. How 

comfortable would you be under a completely 

autonomous surgical blade? Now compare this to 

an overworked, sleep deprived human surgeon, at 

the end of a 24-hour shift. 

Fatigue has been recognized as a problem in 

the healthcare industry for a long time. Clinicians 

are overworked, understaffed, sleep deprived, 

and they are working in a very challenging 

environment, making hundreds of split-second 

decisions that will impact people’s lives every day. 

Not to mention the very complex nature of what 

they deal with—the human body. 

While healthcare cannot yet be completely 

autonomous, technology plays a major role today 

in improving outcomes, increasing safety and 

reducing the cost of care. If we look at the primary 

source of fatigue in clinicians, it’s not just about 

long hours of work, or short hours of sleep. It’s also 

decision fatigue. Here is where computer software 

can bring a lot of value as a clinical decision 

support system. 

In its most basic form, clinical decision 

support (CDS) provides clinicians, staff, patients 

and other individuals with knowledge and personspecific 

information, intelligently filtered or 

presented at appropriate times, to enhance health 

and healthcare. Examples are reminders, alerts and 

evidence links embedded within the electronic 

medical record in various workflow points to 

guide the clinician’s decision-making process. 

A more advanced form of such systems is the 

analytical form. Where many of the Radiology 

Information Systems contain post-acquisition 

analysis modules that can spot pathology, perform 

3D reconstruction of 2D images, and even analysis 

ECG waveforms to provide interpretation. 

The form that takes CDS to the next level, 

is providing various levels of recommendations, 

a suggested course of action and interactive 

assistance personalized to the patient’s condition. 

When physicians document a finding, CDS 

would suggest a diagnosis. When they document 

a diagnosis, the system would suggest a treatment 

plan. How the suggestion is made, and whether 

it’s only a proposal pending human approval, or 

an actual automatic ordering of management, is 

a debate. 

Some CDSs can also monitor the patient’s vital 

signs and other clinical assessments and highlight 

subtle changes in the patient’s condition that a 

human can miss. It would guide the clinicians 

through the assessment process, start to finish, 

and provide recommendations at the end. Other 

tools provide guided management of complex 

conditions across multiple visits, medical services 

and disciplines, to facilitate multiple clinicians 

providing care tailored to the patient’s condition, 

progress and response to treatment. 

At the end, the most important decision 

such systems should support, is how to make 

them better. Such systems provide a wealth of 

information, such as what recommendations 

were given to the clinicians? How were they 

given? Did the human provider override the 

recommendations? And finally, what was the 

outcome of the decision? This needs to feed back 

into machine learning algorithms and artificial 

intelligence modules to learn, grow and design 

future systems that are faster, safer, more accurate 

and able to provide better decision support to 

clinicians. 

We’ve seen very advanced AI modules in areas 

like, aviation, transportation, finance and even 

gaming and entertainment industries that learn, 

evolve and excel on their own. When are we going 

to see an equivalent investment in the use of AI in 

healthcare? 

DR NADER ELSHEHABI, PHYSICIAN EXECUTIVE, CERNER MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 


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The fact that we live in a society 

suffering from the results of 

unhealthy diets and lack of 

activity can be seen in the 

rising cases of lifestyle-related illnesses 

witnessed every year. What is more 

alarming is the increasing incidences of 

chronic diseases in children, stemming 

from a faulty diet, lack of exercise, and an 

overall negligence towards keeping good 

health and hygiene. Childhood obesity, 

for instance, affects more than 41 million 

children worldwide and is forecasted to 

reach 70 million by 2025. Similarly, cases of 

type 1 and type 2 diabetes are also on the 

rise among children and teens. However, 

health studies worldwide show that 80% of 

health problems are preventable by simply 

following a structured diet and an active 

lifestyle. 

For a child to achieve its full potential 

and lead a productive and satisfying life, 

it is important that they score well on 

health, nutrition and education quotients. 

Investing in children’s physical, emotional 

and mental wellbeing today will ensure 

a far healthier society in future. Good 

health and nutrition not only instills 

positivity among children but also leads 

to better performance and productivity 

both inside and outside the classroom. For 

a sustainable future it is essential to create 

a strong and safe environment, free of 

negative vibes and illnesses. Studies have 

proven that unhealthy children are more 

prone to diseases when they grow older. 

This is why inculcating the importance of 

health and wellness at a young age can go a 

long way, as the younger the age the deeper 

the impact. 

Health education is an essential tool to 

build the mindset among young children, 

making health and wellness not an option 

but a regular code of life for them. It 

highlights the positive effects of physical, 

mental, emotional and social health and its reflection on 

society as a whole, and encourages them to stay fit, work on 

their health and avoid diseases. In short, it promotes a healthy 

lifestyle and prevents diseases. Moreover, health education 

and implementation prepares youngsters for wiser, healthier 

choices when they grow up. 

This can only become possible with a holistic involvement 

of children, educational institutions and policy makers. Schools 

in particular play an essential role, as it is where children spend 

a significant portion of their day. Health promotion activities 

within school premises arm young minds with knowledge 

Arming 

Children For A 

Healthier Future 

As the region continues to see rising numbers of 

lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity, 

what more should we be doing to ensure that our 

bad habits are not passed on? 

By Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group 

and skills regarding their own health and help to build a more 

positive attitude towards the subject. Thematic research has 

also proven that school-based health and nutrition learning not 

only improves academic performance but reduces absenteeism 

among students. 

While a school provides the infrastructure to promote 

health education, it is the cohesive responsibility of many 

other institutions to bring about a physical change, particularly 

in under-developed countries. UNESCO’s FRESH initiative 

(Focusing Resources on Effective School Health) is one such 

example, where good health and a safe and secure physical and 

BY ALTANAKA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 


psychosocial environment in schools is reinforced by other 

strategies, such as the availability of safe water and sanitation 

and skills-based health education. Another essential factor 

is the quality of trained health education teachers for a more 

significant output. 

Schools need to empower students with health-wellness 

programs and health education, motivating them to take 

what they have learnt back into their homes where it can be 

extended to other members of the household. Besides teaching 

the theoretical importance of a healthy lifestyle, students 

should be encouraged to follow the teaching practically, 

by bringing in healthy lunches. 

Similarly, schools that serve 

meals should adhere to healthy 

nutritional guidelines issued by the 

authorities concerned, to ensure , 

they are providing nutritious food. 

On a larger scale, the 

community involvement in 

promoting health education cannot 

be stressed enough. UNESCO’s 

FRESH framework advocates 

partnerships between the health 

and education sectors, schools and 

community groups, teachers and 

health workers, and interaction 

between students and authorities 

involved in implementing school 

programmes. Regular workshops 

are another great motivation to 

creating awareness, along with 

newsletters and quizzes. 

Health screening can also be an 

important aspect where educational 

institutions can play an important 

role. Dental problems, rising sugar 

levels and weakening eyesight 

due to low standards of general 

hygiene fall under this category, 

and regular screening serves as a 

warning to both students and their 

parents to rectify the health issue 

before it gets out of hand. Schools 

can help monitor and manage the 

pre-existing ailments and prevent 

the lifestyle-oriented diseases from 

escalating. 

In view of the importance of 

health education, the SAHI-School 

Health Program was launched in 

the U.A.E. in 2012, motivating 

students to improve overall 

health, hygiene and wellbeing 

through conscious changes in 

behavior, habits and attitude. 

Working in tandem with schools 

across the U.A.E., the program encompasses regular health 

checks, medical checks, health education and activities in the 

school, addressing student health concerns such as nutritional 

disorders, fitness issues, oral health and risk behaviors by 

teaching students to embrace healthier habits that will endure 

for life. So far SAHI has undertaken health-wellness programs 

covering approximately 4,000 students from various schools. 

By teaching our children positive habits and giving them 

the knowledge and awareness to take care of their health and 

wellbeing, the lifestyle diseases plaguing the current generation 

could be a thing of the past for the next. 



Destination 


The numbers of tourists travelling 

overseas for the sole purpose of obtaining 

healthcare treatment is rising, although 

it’s unclear how rapidly. The U.A.E. is 

determined to lead the market 

By Subodh Panangatt, Head of Healthcare & Education 

Consulting at GRMC 

With no authoritative data on the exact numbers 

of medical tourists travelling between 

countries and continents, there remains some 

disagreement about the current size of the 

industry. Most available data on medical travel is of poor 

quality, with sources often lacking details about how estimated 

figures were calculated. There are also variations in the 

definition of medical travellers and a lack of agreed methods 

for data collection. However, there is a general consensus that 

the industry has flourished over the past decade and that this is 

likely to continue. 

Travelling abroad for medical reasons is not a new 

phenomenon—people have travelled abroad for health benefits 

since ancient times. However, the pattern of travel has altered. 

During the 20th century, wealthy people from less developed 

areas of the world travelled to developed nations to access 

better facilities and highly trained medics. Currently things 

are different, with flow from developed to less developed 

nations, more regional movements, and the emergence of an 

international market. For example, patients from Western 

Europe are taking advantage of Eastern European nations for 

more economical medical treatment. 

Destinations can be divided by focus: 

• Medical Quality Focus: These destinations are respected 

for high-quality, technological and clinical innovations. 

The services offered are highly priced and attract affluent 

patients who live in countries that typically do not have a 

very robust healthcare system. 

Countries: U.S., UK, Germany, Switzerland 

• Value Focus: These countries sell services to patients from 

developed and other countries who seek maximum value 

for money. This segment is gaining popularity with good 

quality care that is 30% to 50% cheaper than Western 

Europe and North American countries. 

Countries: Thailand, India, Costa Rica, Czech Republic 

• Tourism Focus: These countries develop their brand based 

on the strength of their tourism and hospitality sector. 

Although their healthcare facilities handle complicated 

treatments within cardiology, oncology and orthopaedics, 

much of the focus is on elective procedures. 

Countries: U.A.E., Greece, Bulgaria 

Governments initiate market strategies based on the country 

focus. For example, Singapore has been promoted as a centre for 

biomedical and biotechnological activities. Whereas Singapore’s 

bio-city is a government-supported network of established and 

emerging facilities and organisations, Dubai’s Healthcare City 

(DHCC) represents a planned bio-city, and is an attempt to 

encourage vast numbers of Middle Eastern medical tourists to 

BY SFAM_PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 


stay within the Middle East rather than travel to Asia. 

It is mostly low to middle-income countries that 

are the destination, and high-income countries the 

source. Although some places (including Dubai) 

may be simultaneously acting as countries of origin 

and destination. Dubai services overseas patients, 

while at the same time its own citizens travel as 

medical tourists to medical quality focus countries 

such as Germany and the U.S. 

Before the formation of the U.A.E. in 1971, 

residents with means journeyed to destinations 

in the west, unsatisfied with the local healthcare 

services provided by the British government 

and American missionaries. In the decades 

following independence, the country’s healthcare 

infrastructure grew, with the creation of 40 public 

hospitals in operation by 1986, marking the advent 

of a modern healthcare system. 

In recent years, however, the U.A.E. has 

witnessed an increase in the number of international 

patients arriving at its own shores for medical 

treatment. According to the Dubai Health Authority, 

medical tourism generated more than $381 million 

for the emirate in 2016. The city received 326,649 

medical tourists, representing an increase of 9.5% 

over the previous year. The most popular treatments 

were orthopaedics, dermatology and ophthalmology. 

In 2016, the largest market for the emirate was Asian 

medical tourists, who accounted for 37% of visitors. 

Arab and GCC countries were the second largest 

market, accounting for 31% of tourists. Visitors from 

Europe amounted to 15% of the total. 

As many of the medical tourists visiting 

Dubai are not price conscious, the quality element 

should not be overlooked. Patient satisfaction is 

an important dimension of healthcare treatment, 

although internationally little is known about 

the experience and satisfaction of medical 

tourists. Government initiative, Dubai Health 

Experience (DXH), ensures that medical tourists 

can understand their rights before arriving for 

healthcare. DXH provides medical tourists with the 

opportunity to compare and choose from over 400 

healthcare packages that outline the cost, inclusions 

and exclusions. The packages combine both leisure 

and health, including hotel accommodation, visa 

and insurance along with the selected medical 

treatments. In addition, DHCC conducts annual 

patient satisfaction campaigns to gauge the overall 

patient experience at facilities within the DHCC 

premises. 

In general, the value focus and tourism focus 

segments have a range of government agencies and 

policy initiatives to stimulate and promote medical 

tourism. It’s clear that many countries, including 

the U.A.E., continue to see significant economic 

potential in the industry. 

Healthcare Construction 

Worth Billions 

According to data from intelligence platform BNC Network, 

there were 707 active healthcare projects underway in the GCC 

in January 2018, with a total value of more than $60.9 billion. 

The healthcare industry constitutes 4% of all active projects in 

the GCC’s urban construction sector, which account for 5% of 

the total estimated value. 

446 $51.9 

HOSPITALS 

projects 

billion 

262 

MEDICAL CLINICS 

$9 

OR RESEARCH 

projects 

CENTRES 

billion 

264 $90.6 

UNDER 

CONSTRUCTION 

projects 

billion 

227 $12.7 

IN THE DESIGN 

PIPELINE 

projects 

75 

projects 

IN TENDER 

billion 

$1.7 

billion 


GUIDE 2018 THOUGHTS 

Health 

“Health is the greatest gift, 

contentment the greatest 

wealth, faithfulness the 

best relationship” 

—BUDDHA 

“If you don’t think your 

anxiety, depression, sadness 

and stress impact your 

physical health, think again. 

All of these emotions trigger 

chemical reactions in your 

body. Learn how to cope, 

sweet friend. There will always 

be dark days. ” 

- KRIS CARR 

“It is health that is real wealth 

and not pieces of gold and 

silver.” 

—MAHATMA GANDHI 

“Sleep is that golden chain 

that ties health and our 

bodies together. ” 

—Thomas Dekker 

“The foundation of 

success in life is good 

health: that is the 

substratum fortune; 

it is also the basis of 

happiness. A person 

cannot accumulate 

a fortune very well 

when he is sick.” 

—REBA MCENTIRE 

The only way to keep 

your health is to eat 

what you don’t want, 

drink what you don’t 

like, and do what 

you’d rather not. 

—MARK TWAIN 

If we could give 

every individual the 

right amount of 

nourishment and 

exercise, not too little 

and not too much, we 

would have found the 

safest way to health. 

—HIPPOCRATES 

“People talk about physical 

fitness, but mental health 

is equally important. I see 

people suffering, and their 

families feel a sense of shame 

about it, which doesn’t help. 

One needs support and 

understanding.” 

—DEEPIKA PADUKONE 

BY EVERETT HISTORICAL; BY CREATIVEI IMAGES; / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 



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Healthcare Guide 2018

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