The health race

Dubai is trying to establish itself as a key medical tourism destination. However, will the emirate ever be able to match the more established markets of Singapore and India?

Author Josef Woodman has dedicated seven pages of the second global edition of his book ‘Patients Beyond Borders' to information for foreign patients interested in receiving medical treatment in the UAE.

But the president of the Healthy Travel Media still can't say why patients would choose to have surgery here over well-known and established medical tourist destinations such Singapore and India.

"[Prices are] still much lower than the US but what about Thailand or Singapore or even India where you can get it for even 30 percent less?," he asks Arabian Business.

Keen to diversify its economy away from oil, the UAE and Dubai in particular, is touting itself as not only a tourist's playground with the likes of Dubailand but also as a medical tourist hot spot.

But while industry experts and doctors agree the economic downturn will provide the ideal opportunity to attract patients looking to save money on medical bills, many argue Dubai still has some way to go before it will rival the likes of Singapore and India.

Aging populations and the rising cost of healthcare is forcing more patients to seek treatment abroad than ever before. Worldwide medical tourism is one of the world's fastest-growing travel markets, estimated to be worth $40bn globally by the end of 2010.

The UAE is also keen to get a slice of this lucrative industry. According to Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, more than 11 million tourists will seek medical treatment in the UAE between now and 2010, while the market value is expected to rise from $3.2bn in 2005 to $11.9bn in 2015.

The establishment of a number of healthcare hubs and a rapidly growing population has persuaded a number of well-known medical brands to establish a presence in the region.

In March, Pfizer, the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company, announced plans to set up a centre for research in the UAE while US-based biotechnology giants Amgen and Genzyme also have a regional presence.

Dubai's Healthcare City, touted as an integrated centre for excellence for clinical and wellness services, medical education and research, has also attracted a number of big names such as US-based Harvard Medical International and Britain's Moorfields Eye Hospital.

"It never used to be worth financially investing in this area, even though there was a need for it... but now the population is here and it's expanding [and with it] comes the investment," says Dr Tarek Tawil, chief of staff at Elajgroup, one of the biggest hospital groups across the Middle East.

Jordan and Egypt are also thriving medical tourist hubs.

A recent study by the Private Hospital Association (PHA) found that over 250,000 patients from 84 countries including those in the GCC were treated in Jordanian hospitals, while World Bank medical tourist experts ranked Jordan as number one in the Arab region and fifth in the world as a medical tourism destination.

While growing populations have provided the incentive for big brands to establish themselves in the region, industry experts believe the economic crisis could provide the region with an influx of patients keen to take advantage of cheaper operations in more familiar surroundings than those in India and Thailand.

"[An economic downturn] will actually help because people who are not insured will start to look here and get quality prices compared to European and Western prices," says Dr Tawil.

"A downturn could trigger more business," agrees Dr Prem Jagyasi, the Dubai-based chief strategic officer for the Medical Tourism Association. "People are going to seek more saving options. If they were going to have the surgery in their own countries, they might now consider other places for a more reasonable cost."

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