GE has announced the appointment of Dr. Manar A. Al-Moneef, a Saudi Arabian national and experienced healthcare professional, as the Managing Director of Imagination Breakthrough in the Middle East and Pakistan. Dr. Al-Moneef will be responsible for leading the business development of GE Healthcare, the healthcare operations of the company in the region, and providing strategic and technical consultancy for launching new applications and products in key emerging markets before taking them globally. Ali Saleh, GE Healthcare's General Manager for Market Development, Eastern and Africa Growth markets, said: "The Middle East region is focusing on innovation and original thinking to meet the pressing healthcare challenges, including a growing incidence of lifestyle diseases and rising healthcare bills. Dr. Manar Al-Moneef has proven competencies in the healthcare sector of the region, and she will drive our healthcare business growth with a focus on healthymagination, GE's commitment to deliver better quality care to more people at lower costs." Dr. Al-Moneef said: "The healthcare requirements of the region are unique and call for ingenious solutions in addressing local challenges. GE's emphasis on innovation and imagination enable our professionals to think beyond conventional boundaries, and create breakthrough innovations that will help improve the state of medical care." Regarded as an enterprising visionary who combines outstanding life science and business development talents, Dr Al-Moneef was the Director General of Health Care & Life Sciences at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), previously. She has worked as Director of Molecular Pathology & Genetics at King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She was also appointed as an Assistant Professor at King Saud University for Medical Studies. Dr. Al-Moneef has a Doctoral Degree in Molecular Oncology from Leicester Warwick University, United Kingdom and a Master Degree in Molecular Medicine form Cambridge University, United Kingdom. She has published several papers on Molecular Medicine, health care and life science strategies. With over 10,000 GE healthcare technologies serving a large network of hospitals and healthcare providers, GE has a strong presence in the Middle East. The company has a long history of public and private sector partnerships in the region, where it supports healthcare providers with advanced technologies and solutions to address the full spectrum of medical needs.