by Expo Events Consulting Expo Events Consulting

Healthcare and trade professionals representing more than 150 countries arrived in Dubai for the opening of Arab Health and Medlab Middle East, the largest exhibitions for the healthcare and laboratory industries in the MENA region.

Under the show theme of ‘United by business, driving the industry forward, the co-located events will reinvigorate the healthcare sector following the challenges of the pandemic by building on the AED3.7 billion worth of business deals done at the 2020 edition of the show, a year-on-year increase of 3.7%.

Wouter Molman, Executive Vice President for Informa Markets, said: “Arab Health and Medlab Middle East have been instrumental in supporting the UAE’s ambitions to become a healthcare hub for trade and business. The opportunity to host a physical event is testament to the UAE Government’s vaccination strategy, while also underscoring the appetite of those from the healthcare industry to come together to network, discuss the industry’s future, and do business.”

More than 20,000 healthcare, laboratory and trade professionals are expected to attend the Arab Health and Medlab Middle East live, in-person events, with many more joining online. Both shows this year have incorporated a hybrid event format with a two-month online event campaign that has provided AI matchmaking and industry-specific content to thousands of international participants, all while supporting visitors locally to schedule face-to-face meetings at the live, in-person shows.

Arab Health, now in its 46th year, is expected to host over 1,500 exhibitors from 62 countries and 20 dedicated country pavilions, including Germany, South Korea, France, the USA and Italy. Throughout the show, innovation and technology will be a key theme, with leaders in the field, including Canon and Philips showcasing their latest product launches. The Arab Health start-up zone returns this year and will feature 13 local and international companies and a further eight healthcare start-ups will be on show courtesy of the Italian Trade Agency.

As part of the Arab Health Congress, more than 300 regional and international speakers and 3,000 delegates will participate in nine Continuing Medical Education (CME) and three non-accredited conferences. The focus will be on healthcare innovation, including Pharma and Drug Discovery, AI in Healthcare and Digital Health and Innovation.

Taking place concurrently this year is the co-located Medlab Middle East. The event will spotlight the latest innovations from over 250 exhibitors at the cutting edge of the laboratory sector under the central show theme of ‘Reshaping the future of diagnostics’. 

A specific focus for the 20th edition of the show will be strategic plans for the medical laboratory in 2022 and beyond. Themes include scientific advancements, new technologies, continuous review of quality standards and international regulations.

Supporting healthcare advancements in the region, the Medlab Middle East Congress is set to provide the necessary education and solutions to advance laboratory skills and improve laboratory functions to over 3,500 conference delegates.

With a total of eight conferences, Medlab Middle East Congress is the largest CME accredited multi-track medical laboratory congress in the world, featuring over 80 renowned laboratory champions from around the world. This year’s conference programme includes a dedicated focus on COVID-19, addressing the latest scientific findings on the virus and discussing its impact on health in the region.

“The past 18 months have been difficult for everyone from both a personal and business perspective; however, the healthcare industry has worked tirelessly to overcome these challenges, and we are thankful to everyone who has contributed to steering us out of the pandemic. We now look to the future with renewed optimism thanks to the advances that have been made within the sector,” added Molman.

The events will feature keynote speeches and scientific lectures, industry briefings, product demonstrations and networking opportunities, as well as a series of pre-arranged one-to-one meetings, with an emphasis on creating lasting relationships.

In the month after the live event, the online platform will remain available for all participants to continue to make connections and secure deals.

Both exhibitions started at 10am on Monday, 21 June and conclude at 5pm Thursday, 24 June at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and in a digital event format from 23 May-22 July 2021.

Extending support to a congress that augments the cause of health care and medical tourism for the UAE, Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) appreciated the manner in which the event was organised keeping in view the COVID-19 protocols. He said, “As we reopen Dubai’s doors to tourism and welcome our international visitors back to the city, our foremost priority is their well-being, achieved through stringent hygiene and safety protocols that have been deployed across all tourist touch points. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘ Safe Travels’ stamp endorses Dubai’s strong global cooperation in combating the pandemic with comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety. We trust that our efforts provide an optimised experience for our visitors and encourage people from every corner of the world to visit Dubai.”