Post by : Mara Rahim
On December 9th and 10th, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai hosted the second Medical Tourism and Wellness Summit by Forbes Middle East, in collaboration with American Hospital Dubai. This two-day event gathered over 100 key figures, including experts, specialists, and business leaders from around the globe, to deliberate on the advancement of health, wellness, and medical tourism.
The discussions emphasized the UAE's emerging prominence as a global hub for healthcare and innovation within the medical tourism sector. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the Minister of Economy and Tourism, opened the session, underlining the sector’s pivotal role in the national economy and the UAE's competitive edge on a global scale. Insights were also shared by Mishal Karim Julfar, Executive Director of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, regarding the future of wellbeing and integrated healthcare.
Bin Touq remarked that the UAE is continually enhancing a tourism model centered on value-driven experiences related to medical treatment and preventive care. He highlighted that tourism accounts for 13% of the UAE’s GDP, generating $70 billion and sustaining over 900,000 jobs, which underscores the robustness of the tourism sector.
He also noted that nearly 30 million visitors flocked to the UAE in 2024, marking the highest visitor numbers in the region, while hotel occupancy rates reached impressive levels with over 23 million guests in just the first nine months of 2025. The future of medical tourism and wellness, he asserted, will increasingly depend on AI, advanced diagnostics, and telehealth platforms to ensure seamless, secure, and reliable experiences.
Khuloud Al Omian, the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Middle East, stated that the summit underscored the UAE’s potential to foster a robust wellbeing ecosystem, supported by world-class infrastructure and diverse sector partnerships. She emphasized the integral role of health and wellness in achieving a balanced life and positioned the UAE as a global benchmark for medical tourism innovation.
Sherif Beshara, Group CEO of Mohamed & Obaid AlMulla Group and American Hospital Dubai, pointed out that Dubai has established its reputation in medical tourism through commitment, vision, and unwavering dedication to excellence.
Over 20 panel discussions delved into topics such as mental, nutritional, and physical wellness alongside integrated health solutions. These conversations were in sync with the UAE National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, aiming to elevate the nation to global leadership in wellbeing as part of We the UAE 2031 and UAE Centennial 2071. The summit fortifies Dubai's standing as a center for innovation in medical tourism, global healthcare, and the future of wellness and tourism in the region.
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