Photo Credit: WAM
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the fifth edition of the Forbes Middle East Healthcare Leaders Summit in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the UAE’s ambition to help shape global standards for healthcare excellence.
The two-day summit, held on September 22-23 at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, is taking place under the theme “Defining Global Standards in Healthcare Excellence.” Hosted by Forbes Middle East in partnership with PureHealth, the event has brought together more than 100 speakers and around 3,000 participants, including policymakers, scientists, healthcare executives and industry specialists.
In his opening address, Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE continues to advance as a global centre for healthcare, research, innovation and technology under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
He said the country has developed advanced healthcare facilities, attracted highly qualified professionals and built strong international partnerships, while seeking to contribute to the standards by which healthcare excellence is assessed globally.
Sheikh Nahyan said healthcare systems worldwide are facing growing pressure from chronic and preventable diseases, while increasing life expectancy is creating greater demand for prevention, early diagnosis and long-term wellbeing.
He noted that technological developments are creating new opportunities across diagnosis, treatment, prevention and medical research, but stressed that healthcare must continue to retain its human dimension.
According to Sheikh Nahyan, technology can help clinicians identify patterns, access knowledge more rapidly and improve decision-making, but the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients remains central to effective medical care.
He also called for stronger cooperation between governments, pharmaceutical companies, technology developers, physicians, biomedical engineers, hospitals, universities and medical colleges.
“No institution represented at this summit can create the future of healthcare alone,” he said, stressing the importance of collaboration in developing more effective health systems.
Sheikh Nahyan also highlighted the role of healthcare management, particularly as populations grow, people live longer and new medical technologies and treatments increase costs.
Effective management, he said, is essential for improving efficiency, allocating resources, controlling expenditure and ensuring patients have access to high-quality care.
He added that the strength of a healthcare system should be assessed not only through the services available to its most privileged patients, but by the quality of care delivered across the wider population.
Addressing regional cooperation, Sheikh Nahyan said health challenges often extend beyond national borders and called for greater exchange of medical research, clinical experience, health data and successful prevention and treatment models across the Middle East.
He said the UAE would continue supporting regional cooperation and knowledge exchange to help countries develop more effective responses to shared health challenges.
Sheikh Nahyan also emphasised the importance of maintaining equality and compassion within healthcare systems as automation and artificial intelligence become more widely adopted.
Healthcare professionals, he said, are expected to provide treatment without discrimination based on nationality, religion, language, gender or social status.
He called for this principle to remain at the heart of future healthcare systems, warning that technological advancement should not come at the expense of the human relationship between patients and medical professionals.
Concluding his remarks, Sheikh Nahyan said global standards for healthcare excellence should be measured not only by technological sophistication but also by accessibility, health outcomes and the humanity with which care is delivered.
He thanked Forbes Middle East and PureHealth for organising the summit and welcomed international healthcare leaders participating in the event.
Healthcare leaders discuss future of medicine
Khuloud Al Omian, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Middle East, said rapid scientific and technological developments are reshaping expectations across the healthcare sector.
She said the Abu Dhabi summit is bringing together international expertise and perspectives to advance a future in which healthcare becomes more proactive, precise and responsive to individual needs.
The first day featured senior government representatives, medical experts and industry executives, including Dr Amin Hussain Al Ameeri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention; Dr Rashed Alsuwaidi, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre; Shaista Asif, Group CEO of PureHealth; Peter Fedichev, Co-Founder and CEO of GERO; and Madhu Sasidhar, President and CEO of the Hospital Division at Apollo Hospitals.
Shaista Asif said artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities to make healthcare more personalised, preventive and connected.
She said PureHealth is working to combine technological innovation with human expertise to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes in the UAE and internationally.
Other participants included Khaled Ateeq Aldhaheri, CEO of Daman; Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, CEO of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City; Dr Habiba Al Safar, Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences and Professor of Genomics at Khalifa University; Joseph Hazel, Group CEO of APEX Health; and Dr Michael Fakih, Executive Chairman of Blue Ocean Health and Founder and Chairman of Fakih IVF Group.
AI, genomics and precision medicine in focus
Day-one discussions examined healthcare policy, leadership and the UAE’s efforts to develop an advanced health ecosystem.
Sessions explored regulatory frameworks, pharmaceutical innovation, access to treatment, international partnerships and the growing role of knowledge exchange in improving healthcare delivery.
The programme also examined fertility and reproductive health, including Abu Dhabi’s development as a centre for advanced fertility services and the increasing use of genomics, artificial intelligence and precision medicine.
Additional discussions focused on longevity, precision health and improving care beyond the treatment of illness.
Experts examined how genomics, molecular and digital biomarkers, integrated health data and advanced diagnostics could support earlier risk detection and more personalised healthcare.
Population health was another major focus, with sessions examining chronic and non-communicable diseases, insurance, preventive healthcare and early intervention.
Participants also discussed the impact of social media misinformation, medical myths and conspiracy theories on healthcare decisions and explored ways to strengthen public confidence in science and evidence-based health information.
Running alongside the main programme, the Doctors Circle hosted CME-accredited clinical sessions covering robotic-assisted surgery, artificial intelligence in early disease detection, liver disease, genetics, fertility, longevity, women’s health, breast cancer, mental health, paediatric surgery and rare diseases.
Summit continues with AI, robotics and digital health
The second day of the summit is set to focus on building smarter, more integrated and resilient healthcare systems.
Sessions will examine how artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced data systems are transforming clinical environments and healthcare delivery.
Other discussions will cover connected health, wearable technology, digital platforms, biological and gene therapies, healthcare investment, talent development and international partnerships.
The programme will also address the evolution of aesthetic medicine, scientific breakthroughs, surgical innovation and the role of clinical development and real-world evidence in improving healthcare.
Virtual care, remote monitoring and hybrid healthcare models will also feature prominently, alongside discussions on early intervention in mental health.
The final sessions will examine the role of investment, entrepreneurship, partnerships and leadership in expanding healthcare capabilities and supporting sustainable growth.
Day-two speakers include Dr Essam Al Zarooni, CEO of the Medical Services Sector at Emirates Health Services; Mohamed Haji Al Khoori, Director General of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation; Professor Shafi Ahmed, Consultant Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust; Dr Tarek Youssef Hosni, CEO of Jamjoom Pharma; Dr Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health Abu Dhabi; and Majid Kaddoumi, SVP EurAsia at Medtronic.
The Healthcare Leaders Summit is being held in partnership with PureHealth. Al Khayyat Investments, APEX Health and Capital Health are serving as event partners, while Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City is the CME accreditation partner.
The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation is participating as supporting partner, with the Emirates Medical Association serving as the summit’s scientific partner.
