The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) yesterday said that Dubai plans to attract 500,000 patients for treatment by 2020 as part of its drive to become a centre for medical excellence in the region and bring a new stream of visitor revenue.
To cater for these patients, the DHA said, 18 private and four public hospitals will be built over the next few years.
The UAE has doubled its healthcare budget since 2007 and currently ranks among the top 20 destinations for medical tourism. The country spends 3.3 per cent of its GDP on healthcare, the third highest in the GCC.
Dubai Tourism and Marketing believes this market could be worth as much as USD 30 million a year.
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"The UAE spends an estimated USD 2 billion a year to send patients abroad for treatment," said Andy White, Group Event Director of The Big 5, a building and construction exhibition.
"Gulf countries are spending heavily to ensure they can provide the best treatment inside their country and, in the case of the UAE, encourage medical tourists," he said.
One of the most high-profile projects is the USD 1.7 billion King Abdullah Medical City in Mecca that will have 1,500 beds in total.
In Kuwait, the Ministry of Health has awarded local company Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons the construction contract for the Farwaniya Hospital expansion. The USD 938 million project involves the construction of three buildings making up a new hospital, including an ER facility.
The GCC countries includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.