Arabic Medical Tourism Index: Exploring Top Arab Destinations for Medical Travel

The medical tourism market is rapidly expanding, many regions across the world are boosting their healthcare systems to meet a wider range of healthcare needs and also provide first-rate care for medical tourists. Following the massive development of free trade zones and healthcare systems across the Middle East, Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, and North Africa, the medical tourism market in these regions have been expanding rapidly.

The Arabic Medical Tourism Index (MTI)

The Arab Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021 evaluates the top-ranking destinations in the Arab region that are changing the face of medical tourism in the region and attracting thousands of medical tourists from around the world. The Medical Tourism Index (MTI), developed by the International Healthcare Research Center, is the industry’s go-to resource that explain how to measure and manage the perception of each destination’s brand. The Arabic Medical Tourism Index was developed in partnership with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) and Dubai’s health regulator, Dubai Healthcare Authority (DHA).

An objective tool such as the MTI helps assess medical travel destinations against critical indicators of quality, safety, and destination environment to help medical tourists choose the best destination for their treatments. The tool also serves as an index of trust in the medical travel industry, as it measures medical tourism providers and businesses against international best practices to sanitize the industry and maintain standards.

Primary Dimensions of Medical Travel

The MTI evaluates medical travel destinations on the “pull” factors that drive the market, with three main factors used as the primary dimensions that drive inbound medical travel:

• Destination Environment: offers a holistic assessment of a destination’s economy, security, culture, and global reputation, which all dictate its attractiveness to foreigners.
• Medical Tourism Industry: assesses the potency of a destination’s healthcare apparatus for international patients, including treatment costs, effective pre-travel patient communication and planning, as well as other travel logistics.
• Quality of Facilities and Services: ranks hospitals and medical tourism providers on how well they offer healthcare solutions, leveraging medical advances and state-of-the-art medical technologies.

Leading Destinations: The UAE Benchmark

In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is setting the benchmark high, with the launch of dedicated portals and more healthcare-centric initiatives. Much of a country’s economic health can be attributed to the well-being of its people, and medical tourism refers to the kind of travel people do that is associated with healthcare.

Dubai Health Experience (DXH)

In the overall Arabic MTI ranking across all three dimensions in the region, Dubai ranked first, topping the list of Arab destinations. In 2016, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) launched the Dubai Health Experience (DXH) brand to establish the city as a global leader in health tourism. DHX’s portal promotes various top-quality treatments in specialized fields, including dentistry, ophthalmology, orthopedics, fertility, cosmetic surgery, gynecology, and wellness.

Abu Dhabi Healthcare Sector

The Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) unveiled the Abu Dhabi Medical Tourism e-Portal, a digital platform that provides the Capital's visitors with the details of all the medical services and facilities available. The electronic portal provides a list of 40 healthcare facilities that are included in the medical tourism network, all of which adhere to the requirements of the DoH's quality framework (Jawda) programme. Medical services include advanced heart surgeries, organ transplants, infertility treatments, joint surgeries, and medical check-ups.

In terms of digital integration, DoH launched the Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange system, called “Malaffi”, a transformational way to centralize information in the emirate’s healthcare sector. This safe and secure system is a necessary tool for physicians to make faster, more efficient medical decisions for patients, reduces overutilization and duplication of healthcare services, and improves access to healthcare.

Market Statistics and Growth Data

The following data highlights the growth and economic impact of medical tourism in the region:

• Global Medical Tourism Market (Last Year): Valued at $47 billion.
• Projected Global Market (2029): Expected to hit $111 billion.
• Medical Tourists in Dubai (2022): 674,000 visitors.
• Revenue Generated in Dubai (2022): $270 million.
• UAE Wellness Tourist Spend (2022): $5.4 billion.
• UAE Wellness Tourist Spend (2020): $2.1 billion.
• International Patients in Abu Dhabi (2017): 16,000 patients.
• Abu Dhabi Network Scope: Over 287 medical treatment packages from over 173 doctors.

Facilitating Easier Access

To facilitate easier access, the UAE grants specialized entry permits for foreign patients and their companions. In Abu Dhabi and Northern Emirates, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) processes treatment entry permits. Meanwhile, in Dubai, it is the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) that manages entry permits for treatment. To further attract medical tourists, the Dubai Healthcare City — a free zone dedicated to bringing together core healthcare services — also began accepting medical visa applications.