A top health official said that Dubai is an emerging next big health destination, citing the high vaccination rate in emirate that can boost tourism. “That is going to be the next big draw to Dubai. The UAE is the world’s most vaccinated country. With the world-class health infrastructure we have, people will look at Dubai as the next big destination for health tourism,” Dr Marwan Al Mulla, CEO of the Health Regulation Sector at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), told Khaleej Times.

Overtaking Israel, UAE has become the most vaccinated country in the world. As on Friday, the Emirates has administered more than 13.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. 

Dr Marwan said Dubai’s record in handling the pandemic will encourage travelers to visit the emirate for tourism as well as to seek quality healthcare. “We are looking at markets like India, West Africa, Russia and even Europe for medical tourism. Our healthcare infrastructure has only strengthened after Covid-19,” he said.

Dubai has total 40,000 licensed healthcare professionals in the public and private sector. Dr Marwan said that this makes emirate all set to offer elective health and wellness treatments to visitors. Under government’s strategy of promoting Dubai as a global medical destination, the emirate is expected to attract 500,000 medical tourists this year, a study by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said. In 2018, the emirate received about 337,000 medical tourists. Orthopedics, sports medicine, dermatology and skin care, dentistry and fertility treatment are the top medical specialties that attract health tourists to Dubai. 

A report by Euromonitor International predicts that UAE’s medical tourism revenues will touch Dh19 billion by 2023. Recently, the DHA has launched the Dubai Health Experience (DXH), which is an online portal for visitors to book appointments with doctors and also lets them plan their medical itineraries. 

Dr Marwan said, “We believe that the burden of the diseases should not be more than the burden of the treatment. Dubai is a very good example that we can control and contain the disease but at the same time allow business to flourish and continue. Otherwise, it will create a huge financial impact on all populations.” 

“COVID-19 will continue with mutations. We need to take precautionary measures and move on,” he added.