In 2011, we received 502 thousand patients, including 15% of tourists who arrived in the country for treatment, while a year earlier this figure was at 10% with a total patient weight of 412 thousand people. I believe we have significant potential for continued growth. "
Meanwhile, Kadi Saeed Al Murushid, director general of the Dubai Health Committee (DHA), noted that his agency has implemented a number of initiatives directly related to medical tourism. "The revenue from the health tourism industry is estimated at US $ 30 billion. We hope that this sector can contribute to the growth of other sectors of the Dubai economy. In particular, it can become an engine of trade and investment in the healthcare sector, the entire emirate’s hospitality industry." - Al Murushid believes. There are currently 4,750 doctors in Dubai who speak more than 40 languages. Experts say the emirate is ready for a boom in this area.
“The United Arab Emirates, and Dubai in particular, offer high-quality services to customers and may well compete with such popular destinations as Thailand and India. The figures show that the cost of coronary artery bypass grafting in the United States costs US $ 130 thousand, while in the UAE, this operation costs about US $ 44 thousand.
Despite the lower cost, we are quite competitive in terms of quality of services. However, many people continue to think that a medical tourist is a low-cost thing and not a necessity. The price of services is important, but this is not the only criterion for choosing a direction for a trip, "says Leyla Al Jassimi, chief executive officer of the policy and strategy sector in the DHA healthcare system." Before, the most popular services among our tourists were cosmetic procedures, prosthetics and hip surgery. Today, we are strategically positioning Dubai as a leading provider of high-quality medical services in various industries. In the future, we are going to focus on highly specialized medical care, in particular, add cancer, diabetes centers, as well as clinics for working with genetic diseases to expand the segment of medical tourism. We also try to fill the gaps in sectors such as patient rehabilitation, pediatrics and comprehensive treatment, ”added Aisha Abdullah.
Currently, tourists from more than 120 nationalities visit Dubai, who use medical care for various reasons. There is a high demand for these services among tourists from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), North and East Africa and Central Asia. Guests from Europe and South Africa like to pamper themselves with wellness procedures.
Currently, there are 12 alternative medicine centers in Dubai that practice the techniques of homeopathy, Ayurveda, osteopathy, naturopathy, Pilates, yoga and others. Dubai authorities also expect significant growth in this area of health tourism. "This area has gained great fame in Europe and South Africa, and, I think, it will partially go into the strategy for the development of medical tourism in Dubai," said Al Jassimi.
