The UAE Ministry of Economy and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their joint cooperation, exchange experiences, and expertise to support medical tourism in the UAE, and promote the country’s position as an ideal destination for those seeking treatment and hospitalization.
According to the agreement, the two sides will exchange experiences in the fields of intellectual property and patents in a way that improves the possibilities for innovation in the country’s institutional work environment and contributes to the development of creativity and the knowledge economy, in accordance with the Principles of the 50.
In addition, the Ministry and DHA will collaborate to support the establishment of health tourism events and conferences and facilitate the visit of tourist delegations to health facilities in the country.
It will also aim to launch promotional and marketing campaigns that highlight tourist attractions and treatment centers and strengthen efforts between the two parties to participate in exhibitions and workshops in a way that contributes to upgrading administrative cadres’ competencies between the Ministry and the Authority.
The medical tourism industry in the UAE generated 12.1 billion dirhams ($3.29 billion) in 2018, witnessing a 5.5 percent annual growth rate. The country saw around 350,118 visitors, registering a rise of 4 percent in health tourism arrivals in 2019 from the previous year. Medical tourism in the UAE is developing rapidly, and the state-of-art healthcare infrastructure and government initiatives are helping make the UAE a hub for medical tourism.
