Dubai receives 674,000 medical tourists from across the world in 2022

Dubai saw remarkable growth in medical tourism in 2022 with 674,000 medical tourists spending Dh992 million in the year, an increase of Dh262 million from 2021.

According to a report issued by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), 39 per cent percent of the medical tourists who came to Dubai were from Asian countries, 22 per cent from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States and 21 per cent from Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority, said Dubai’s ability to provide high-quality patient-centred medical care has accelerated its growth as an Arab, regional and international healthcare destination.

Dubai’s strategic location, safety, exceptional infrastructure and world-leading amenities add to the factors that have raised its status as a medical tourism hub, he noted.

The three specialities that saw the highest number of medical tourists were dermatology (31 per cent) dentistry (24 per cent) and gynecology (18 per cent).

Medical tourists from Asia, Europe and Africa, including from GCC and Arab countries also visited Dubai for treatment in the fields of orthopaedics, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, fertility treatments, hospitalisation and recovery.

Al Ketbi further said Dubai’s vision to provide a world-class healthcare model and an integrated medical care system that offers cutting-edge facilities, advanced technologies, smart solutions and state-of-the-art treatment methods, as well as highly-qualified professionals across all fields of medicine have driven its global competitiveness in the sector.

Highlighting the fact that the healthcare sector plays an important role in enhancing the quality of life of people, Al Ketbi said the Dubai Health Authority has adopted a clear strategy to expand the role of this vital sector in raising the welfare of the community.

DHA is committed to attracting investments in the sector by collaborating with prestigious international healthcare institutions to establish facilities that can meet growing treatment needs across all specialities.

Regions from which Dubai attracted the highest number medical tourists in key specialities include:

Top three regions for dermatology services:• Asian countries - 35% • European countries - 26%• Arab and GCC countries - 20%