Six reasons why Arab Health matters

This week, we’ve traveled from London to be at the Arab Health conference in Dubai, which starts on Monday 29th January. 

It’s a significant commitment in terms of resources and time so why do I think Arab Health is worth the effort? 

1. Timing 

The Middle East is enjoying a golden era, according to JP Morgan Chase & Co’s European boss Viswas Raghaven. The Saudi stock market saw an uptick in listings in 2023 and regional government efforts to diversify away from oil are beginning to pay off. 

The JP Morgan Healthcare Conference earlier this month in San Francisco with 10,000 of the global biopharmaceutical community hearing that the financial mood music is improving. 2024 is forecast to see 17 possible approvals of transformative regenerative medicine therapies, such as gene therapy: a big uptick from 2023.  

2. Critical mass 

About 3,600 delegates are expected to attend Arab Health from 180 countries: half as big as JP Morgan with 8,000 delegates, but big enough.  

At Arab Health, I have meetings with Ministries of Health from Gulf states, as well as important partners like IROS, the UAE’s first homegrown contract research organization. Serendipity will also play its part with so many influential players all in one place.  

3. Healthcare infrastructure 

Emirates in the region have invested in technology from the start, being among the world’s first health information exchanges. Having access to such rich data sets and a connected, data ecosystem has attracted world-class healthcare organizations to the region including the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, King’s College London and Johns Hopkins.  

4. Government backing 

We have many choices as to where we base our businesses. Healthcare is a truly global business and we see an opportunity to create an axis of innovation between our headquarters in the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Investment incentives, such as zero percent corporate and income tax certainly help, as does 100% profit repatriation in Special Economic Zones.

The newly established Saudi National Institute for Health Research, launched in August 2023, is also helping to create the right regulatory environment, by supervising and promoting translational research and clinical trials. 

5. Rare disease as a priority 

There are around 10,000 different rare diseases, affecting 1 in 10 people globally. Around three million of those affected are in the Middle East, according to the Center of Arab Genomic Studies.   

Rare diseases can impose a significant burden on healthcare systems, as families typically struggle for years for an accurate diagnosis. Cities like Abu Dhabi have prioritized healthcare as one of the main engines of growth through its Vision 2030, and investment in rare diseases, particularly early access to genomic diagnostics is a key part of that.  

6. Technology coming of age 

One of the key themes of JP Morgan’s Healthcare Conference this year was the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the development of new therapies. The vast majority of rare diseases have no treatment so there is an enormous need to jumpstart the development of more. 

AI offers tremendous promise in identifying new therapeutic targets and in critically appraising clinical trial design, which is why we’re applying AI tools to clinical development in rare disease.  

In summary, we see the future of healthcare as entrepreneurship without borders. We’re working hard to bring together some of the most experienced talent to work together to accelerate the supply of drug therapies in rare diseases.  

The Middle East will be a big part of our future and we’re looking to establish our base here as part of our trip to Arab Health.