Dubai: The new global hub for medical tourism

By Neha Kirpal

Hitherto known mostly for its desert safaris, glamorous hotels and expansive malls, Dubai has lately become the hot new destination for its internationally-accredited hospitals with specialty treatments range from plastic surgery and dental care to preventive health checks and wellness.

Quickly growing into a booming business, medical tourism generates an estimated $50 billion to $60 billion a year, growing to $100 billion a year within the next decade.

Teaming up with Emirates Holidays, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Dubai Immigration, Dubai’s health leaders have also launched special medical tourism packages for residents and visitors as part of the first phase of a DHA initiative. The package will include flight tickets and hotel accommodations for tourists and special discounts for residents.

“In the first phase, we will only roll out packages for wellness and health-checkups. As more and more people adopt a wellness lifestyle, travel agents can expect to see an increasing number of clients who want to incorporate wellness into their trip planning. This is a fast-growing field in the tourism sector,” Dr Ibrahim said in a statement.

The emirate has also rolled out three-month renewable visas for medical tourists and their companions, and launched a campaign to brand itself as the Middle East’s top destination for wellness and plastic surgery.

Branding Dubai as a healthcare hub through targeted advertising and partnerships with medical tourism facilitators, the UAE government and regional clinics including the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital are already promoting their services directly to eastern European and Gulf countries, both key markets in this particular tourism sector.

According to Dr. Ramadan Ebrahim, director of health regulation at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and director of the Medical Tourism Project, Dubai has more than 25,800 health professionals in the private sector who speak more than 40 languages. The DHA also says that the city has around 150 licensed plastic surgeons.

Vasilica Baltateanu, owner of the UAE’s first plastic surgery consultancy – Vasilica Aesthetics – says one of the driving factors behind Dubai’s medical tourism trend is its innate glamor factor, making it an attractive go-to destination for regional and international tourists who want to relax, shop and indulge.

“You don’t find them going anymore to Beirut and (they) are coming to Dubai. Why? It’s much safer in Dubai,” Baltateanu said.

Also eager to tap into the region’s growing demand for cosmetic procedures, world-famous plastic surgeon Dr. Luiz Toledo closed up his practice in Brazil and moved to Dubai in 2006. Needless to say, his move was a step into a very profitable direction.

He saw patients from over 73 countries last year and even launched a private wing for his rich and famous Arab clients.

Using its reputation for luxury and innovation to carve out a niche in the medical tourism market, Dubai is already attracting medical tourists from around the globe including the US, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.

With a specially customized travel plan, world-class health care facilities and attractive treatments, Dubai seems well-poised on its way to become one of the top medical destinations in the world. By marketing itself as a global vacation spot for adventure, unique experiences, wellness and now specialty treatments, Dubai is bound to attract people from around the globe who want to combine their vacation time with high-end medical treatments.

“If you think about 20 years ago, nobody in the world heard about Dubai. And today there is not a person in the world that hasn’t heard about it,” said Toledo.

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