DUBAI Healthcare City (DHCC) and DuBiotech, both part of Tecom investments are set to announce their latest initiatives and plans for 2011 at the upcoming Arab Health Exhibition & Congress. One of the world's leading healthcare exhibitions of its kind, the Arab Health expo will run from Jan. 24 to 27 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The event is now in its 36th year. “Dubai has seen a growth in the development of private healthcare facilities to meet the needs of a growing population,” said Simon Page, group director of Life Sciences at IIR Middle East, the event organisers. “The growing population is also more sophisticated in their choice in healthcare so patient-centered care is playing a vital role in building trust and attracting patients to the private sector,” he noted. “Ongoing participation at Arab Health by industry frontrunners such as DHCC and DuBiotech is a testament to the continuing development of the region's healthcare sector,” he added. Commenting on the main areas of growth for the healthcare industry in Dubai, Dr. Ayesha Abdullah, managing director of the Sciences Cluster, Tecom Investments and executive director of DHCC and DuBiotech said: “Our experience at DHCC is that there remains a strong demand for high quality healthcare providers in tertiary care.” “If patient needs can be addressed at home, then they are more likely to stay. This offers great potential for specialists in fields relevant to the local population's health issues such as diabetes and cardiology.” “Other areas of healthcare where there are opportunities include oncology, pediatrics, fertility treatment, elderly care, special needs, rehabilitation services and complementary and alternative medicine,” Dr. Abdullah remarked. According to her, the expo offers DHCC important opportunities to build relations within the industry, to showcase their progress and achievements, and explore new opportunities with interested investors and other stakeholders in the healthcare field. “This year we are exhibiting with our sister company DuBiotech which is a major life sciences hub in the Middle East,” she added. DuBiotech, she said, had recently inaugurated its Nucleotide Laboratory Complex, the only such facilities in the Arab world, allowing biotech research and tests to be conducted in Dubai. “DHCC has continued to grow and attract new healthcare providers since Arab Health 2010 including areas of ENT, ayurvedic medicine, obstetrics and gynecology/fertility treatment, and internal medicine. We have also partnered with prominent providers of continuing medical education for our healthcare providers, which furthers our efforts to maintain best practice,” she added. The Arab Health expo provides a platform for the world's leading manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to meet the medical and scientific community in the Middle East and beyond. Overall the event will feature more than 2,700 exhibiting companies from 70 countries and is expected to attract around 65,000 participants.
