Latest news with #DubaiHealthcareCity
Khaleej Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Orchid Fertility unveils advanced facility in Dubai Healthcare City
Orchid Fertility has moved into a state-of-the-art facility in Dubai Healthcare City. This move enhances the clinic's capacity and infrastructure, driven by sustained annual growth and rising demand —further cementing Dubai's status as a global hub for specialised healthcare. 'Orchid is a key asset within Waha Health, our healthcare investment platform and this milestone reflect the business's strong execution and sustained growth trajectory,' said Mohamed Hussain Al Nowais, Managing Director at Waha Capital. 'We are proud to support Orchid's continued expansion as it strengthens its market position and delivers long-term value through clinical excellence, innovation and a deeply patient-centric approach.' The newly launched clinic is designed to provide a streamlined, supportive, and deeply personalized fertility journey. It features an advanced IVF lab with cutting-edge embryology and andrology labs, private consultation rooms, recovery suites, and dedicated spaces for emotional and wellness support—recognizing that fertility is as much an emotional experience as it is a medical one. 'At Orchid, our work begins with empathy and is guided by science,' said Dr. Dimitrios Kafetzis, Medical Director and Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Orchid Fertility. 'This new facility enables us to deepen that commitment, offering improved outcomes and comfort to patients. Whether someone is taking their first steps in fertility treatment or seeking answers after a long journey, Orchid is where hope finds direction.' Known for its clinical excellence and compassionate approach, Orchid Fertility boasts one of the highest success rates in the UAE—with a 71% pregnancy rate across all age groups, well above industry averages. Its team of leading fertility specialists are highly experienced in treating complex cases, using the latest technology and evidence-based approaches to deliver hope and results to couples who have struggled for years. 'Dubai is a city that thrives on innovation, excellence and inclusivity,' said Dr. Arpan David, CEO of Orchid Fertility. 'It's the perfect place for us to continue our growth journey. Our team, infrastructure, and medical capabilities have evolved to support every patient with personalised, high-quality care.' The clinic's services include fertility preservation, male infertility treatment, genetic testing, embryo freezing, and advanced IVF procedures—all backed by a multidisciplinary team and supported by a compassionate care model. Beyond medicine, Orchid offers holistic support including counseling, mindfulness sessions, and lifestyle coaching to ease the emotional toll of fertility treatment. 'The rising demand for fertility care reflects changing lifestyles, delayed parenthood and greater awareness,' added Dr. Partha Das, Deputy Medical Director, Consultant Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. 'Orchid's enhanced capabilities ensure that we're well-positioned to extend care to a broader and more diverse group of patients—especially those who have experienced setbacks or are navigating complex fertility challenges.' With expanded capacity and streamlined scheduling, patients can now access consultations faster than ever before. 'At Orchid, we don't just offer treatment—we offer hope, direction, and unwavering support,' said Dr. Arpan David. 'This new facility is a reflection of our values: advanced, warm, and deeply human.' As demand for fertility services continues to grow across the UAE, Orchid Fertility's expansion marks a bold step forward in shaping the future of reproductive health—where innovation meets empathy, and outcomes change lives. Orchid's growth reflects Waha Capital's broader ambition to scale its healthcare investment platform and invest in businesses with scalable, impact-driven models. Orchid Fertility is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and Joint Commission International (JCI) —globally recognized seals of excellence that reflect Orchid's excellence across clinical practices, infrastructure, and operations.
The National
09-04-2025
- Business
- The National
'I couldn't go back to the office': Four UAE entrepreneurs on how to change career course
Quitting your corporate nine-to-five to start your own business and become your own boss is a big leap and a dream many people have. But what happens when your dream is so completely and utterly different to your current job that it would require a total career 180? Four people in the UAE who took the plunge share their insights, tips and lessons learnt along the way. Omar Al Shunnar's resume is long and distinguished. He oversaw the development of Dubai Healthcare City, acted as chief executive of Emaar Healthcare Group and spent four years as chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim Healthcare. While acknowledging the many opportunities and privileges his corporate life has afforded him, the Emirati entrepreneur and father of three admits he had long suspected his future lay not in an office, but rather in the far-flung corners of the world. All of which led him to start his own boutique travel company, Beyond With You. 'I think what drove the change was me asking myself: 'Why am I doing this?'' he says. 'I was in a budget meeting and I thought 'why am I here?' My need to understand that is what led me to realise I needed to disconnect, to go and understand what I wanted to do.' After a period of soul-searching, as well as setting up the economic think tank Jsoor, Beyond With You was born in 2021. The company creates bespoke, small group travel experiences, during which guests immerse themselves in different countries and cultures across the globe. 'I want to create value for people,' he says of the company. 'Just seeing young people empowered and having confidence in their abilities and knowing their full potential really resonates well with my core values and my personal life purpose, my mission and my vision.' Advising budding entrepreneurs to 'become independent from their job financially' as a way of gaining the freedom to make the change they want to, Al Shunnar credits setting and re-evaluating his own personal – not business – strategy every five years, as a way to check in on where he is in his life. 'I used to be a workaholic,' he says. 'So, I had not just a 180 in my career, but also on the physical and mental side too. Every five to six years, I develop a strategy for myself, including elements such as health, growth and spirituality. As long as things resonate with my mission and my vision, I'm living my values.' An ever-increasing workload and an idea for a new company led Dubai resident and mother-of-one Claire Lambert to leave her corporate job in publishing and launch a cat sitting company that has since grown into five businesses. 'Working in the corporate world became a struggle in terms of workload and general well-being and happiness,' she says. 'I didn't think I would move into the pet space, but it happened by accident. I needed a pet sitting company to take care of my cat and I was so disappointed with the service. I had booked twice daily visits but received no photos or updates, the food and water bowls were left dirty and my cat was distraught. I thought, 'I can do better than that'.' Lambert, 49, started small, keeping her day job and cat-sitting in the mornings and evenings as she built a client base. 'I took a few bookings in the first month and by the second month, my schedule was full. That was the catalyst to quit.' Her background in design meant she was able to create her own marketing, website and logo, while seven years of gratuity kept her afloat. 'For the first year, I did all the pet-sitting myself, zig-zagging across Dubai, from Midriff to Dubai Investment Park, building up my database,' she says. As well as Dubai Cat Sitting, Lambert has launched The Vet Store, Pet Industry Awards, Dubai Feastival – a festival for dogs with categories such as "waggiest tail" – and the coming Paw Power Challenge, under her main company GBest Friends Pet Co. 'That entrepreneurial side has always been there, it was finding the thing that earned enough for me to make the move,' she says. 'It's given me freedom to choose and shape what I do and how to do it. I'm not being told what to do as I'm my own boss. I couldn't go back to the office.' 'I don't think I've watched Netflix in about four or five years,' says Basma Chaieri, founder and chief executive of sustainable jeweller Etika Jewels. 'Any spare time is dedicated to the company, the children or catching up on sleep.' Twelve years in the travel industry – including stints at and Expo 2020 – had Chaieri spend half her year travelling and taking on so many different roles her colleagues nicknamed her 'Swiss army knife". It was the birth of her second child that led her to re-evaluate her work-life balance. 'I needed the flexibility to drop off and pick up from school, take them to activities and help with homework, which I couldn't do. I was travelling half my time or being in an office from 8am to 7pm,' she says. 'About 15 years ago, I'd watched a documentary about the diamond industry and lab-grown diamonds and I'd always kept that in the back of my mind, thinking that if I had to create something, I'd want to do that.' When Expo finished, Chaieri started taking gemology courses to learn about lab-grown gems. 'Lab diamonds were not so well-known when I was talking about them,' she says. 'People were like: you have a successful career, you have a good level at the company, decent paycheque, why would you do this now?' Setting up Etika Jewels in 2021, Chaieri quickly realised her online business model needed a retail space so people could see and physically hold the diamonds. 'There were fears of failure, of course, and the financial aspect was a huge consideration,' she says. 'In the beginning, it is tough. I'm self-founded with no investors and at the start there are little sales, payment platforms pay you two weeks later and suppliers want pre-payment, so there is a lot of figuring things out.' Revealing that 'nights were spent trying to understand Google algorithms, pricing, design, payments and accounting,' French-Moroccan Chaieri says one of her biggest lessons was appreciating she couldn't be an expert at everything. 'We see entrepreneurs as glamorous and usually we only start to know about them when their business becomes successful,' she says. 'You don't see the many hours spent trying to figure things out. It requires so much dedication.' A career in the corporate world, including five years with American Express Middle East, helped Canadian Muna Rahim hone the entrepreneurial skills she would need to turn her children's party treats into the successful business Crackles. 'All my life I had had this entrepreneurial spirit and was always dreaming up ways to have my own business, but I never believed in any so strongly as to move forward with my ideas,' says the married mother-of-one. Her daughter's eighth birthday turned out to be the catalyst when the rice crispy treats Rahim made for the party proved a hit with the children and adults. 'They're a popular North American dessert, but it was the first time I had made them while living here in the UAE,' she says. 'People started asking me to make them for their parties and I realised I had found a niche in the market, that this type of dessert was missing in this part of the world.' After experimenting with flavours and design while making them for friends, her little passion project at home grew into a fully fledged business, which she launched in 2021. 'There were skeptics,' she adds. 'People wondered how you can turn your hobby into a business and compete in a saturated F&B market in the UAE. But I always follow my gut and I tuned all of that out.' Appearing on reality TV show Shark Tank Dubai and securing three investors allowed Rahim to expand her business and reflect on a few lessons learnt along the way. 'I wish I had known that you're never going to know everything from the get-go,' she says. 'You learn as you go, and you won't have all the answers at the beginning. I'm so proud to have built something truly from scratch that brings smiles to people's faces.'
Gulf Business
04-03-2025
- Health
- Gulf Business
How Dubai Healthcare City is enabling innovation in the sector
Image: Supplied As Dubai continues to cement its status as a global hub for healthcare and medical tourism, Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is key to this transformation. With a robust ecosystem that integrates world-class healthcare services, and strategic partnerships, DHCC is redefining the future of patient care and medical innovation. In this interview, Allae Almanini, COO, and Jaffar Bin Jaffar, director of Partnerships at Dubai Healthcare City Authority, discuss DHCC's role in shaping Dubai's healthcare landscape, leveraging AI-driven solutions, and attracting global healthcare leaders to solidify the emirate's position as a premier medical destination. Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) has emerged as a key player in Dubai's healthcare ecosystem. Could you provide insights into its healthcare services performance and how DHCC has contributed to advancing the sector and Dubai's position as a healthcare hub? Allae Almanini: With more than 195 clinical facilities and 130 regional headquarters of global companies, we provide a robust ecosystem with a focus on high-quality specialised healthcare services to enhance healthcare delivery and meet the growing demands of the sector. Following the recently amended law for Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) to solidify Dubai's position as a global healthcare hub, we continue to play a key role as Dubai's enabling healthcare and wellness destination. We have continuously worked to develop an enabling ecosystem that allows our partners to expand their operations and enhance their specialised healthcare offerings. By attracting local and international expertise, we have diversified our services and strengthened our position. This approach is extending into DHCC's Phase 2, with a strong focus on preventive care and sustainable wellness solutions. Since 2019, we have attracted Dhs1.03bn in strategic investments, creating an environment where healthcare innovation and investment can thrive. Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) recently partnered with the AI & Quantum Intelligence Institute (AIQII) to launch an AI-driven medical claims analysis solution. How will this innovation shape the future of healthcare operations within DHCC? Jaffar Bin Jaffar: We can see healthcare providers increasingly adopting more AI-driven tools and solutions across the world. Our recent strategic partnership with the AI & Quantum Institute (AIQII) marks a major step toward an AI-driven ecosystem. This partnership optimises revenue cycle management for more than 300 healthcare providers within our ecosystem, streamlining administrative processes, improving first-pass acceptance rates and reducing claim denials. This will not only enhance operational efficiency but also foster sustainable financial practices within the healthcare sector. With the UAE's new basic health insurance mandate increasing medical claims volume, this AI solution will help our providers process claims with greater accuracy, accelerating reimbursements and ensuring compliance with coding and policy regulations, ultimately reducing financial strain on healthcare providers. As the first healthcare free zone to integrate AI into medical claims management, we set a new benchmark for innovation, paving the way for future AI-driven advancements that will enhance patient care. The AI initiative aims to improve claims acceptance rates and reduce administrative burdens. What tangible benefits do you expect healthcare providers within DHCC to experience as a result of this AI-driven solution? Jaffar Bin Jaffar : The AI-driven solution will simplify the reimbursement process by automating claim analysis, minimising manual intervention and identifying recovery opportunities. It ensures compliance with policy regulations and addresses the root causes of claim denials, significantly reducing administrative burdens. Healthcare providers will also benefit from complimentary claims analysis, with AIQII directly negotiating with payers to recover identified opportunities. Providers stand to receive 50 per cent of recovered amounts without any additional costs or downtime. With reduced administrative constraints, providers will be able to allocate more resources to patient care, leading to faster treatment delivery and improved patient outcomes With the growing demand for technology-driven solutions in healthcare, how do you view DHCC's role in positioning itself as a leader in adopting AI and other transformative technologies? Allae Almanini : We are driving the adoption of AI and emerging technologies, reinforcing our position as a leading hub for healthcare innovation. By integrating AI-driven solutions, we are enhancing patient care, optimising medical processes and advancing value-based healthcare. Initiatives such as the AI Healthcare Innovation Lab by Acorn Research and AI-driven medical claims analysis solutions by AI & Quantum Intelligence Institute (AIQII) are improving patient outcomes and shaping the future of healthcare. With a strong focus on innovation, DHCC is cultivating an ecosystem that attracts specialised IT experts and advanced digital services. Our commitment to AI and digital transformation fosters continuous advancements in patient-centred healthcare solutions. As a premier healthcare destination, we provide state-of-the-art infrastructure, a strategic location, and seamless business setup support, empowering healthcare providers to embrace digital transformation and thrive. DHCC is attracting leading companies like AirMed International to set up regional offices within the free zone. How do these partnerships contribute to DHCC's overall growth and Dubai's vision of becoming a global healthcare hub and a top destination for medical tourism? Jaffar Bin Jaffar : AirMed International establishing its regional office in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is a significant milestone in enhancing patient-centred healthcare services in Dubai and the Middle East. As a global leader in air medical transportation and patient care services and with over two decades of operational excellence in the UAE, the presence of AirMed International strengthens Dubai's standing as a trusted healthcare destination, particularly for medical tourists. This agreement aligns with our strategic vision of fostering an ecosystem that prioritises patient care and medical excellence. Through strategic partnerships, modern technological advancements, developed medical infrastructure and a regulatory government body that supports international brands and companies, we attract world-class healthcare providers, supporting Dubai's goal of becoming a global hub for advanced treatments and medical tourism. As a free zone focused on healthcare, what are some of the key challenges DHCC faces in maintaining its competitive edge, and how do you plan to address them in the coming years? Allae Almanini : The healthcare sector is evolving rapidly, with advancements in medical technology, shifting patient expectations and changing regulatory and licensing requirements. Ensuring seamless compliance while fostering innovation remains a key challenge. We are well-prepared to navigate these challenges in collaboration with all relevant authorities, through initiatives that support healthcare providers. Programmes such as C37, the UAE's first private medical workspace for UAE-based or visiting doctors seeking an independent part-time practice solution; Masaar, our 360-degree customer service platform offering services including licensing and visa support; and DHCX, which provides local and global companies access to an established healthcare network, all contribute to maintaining our competitive edge. What other initiatives and innovations can we expect from DHCC to continue driving its position as a global leader in healthcare, wellness, and medical research? Allae Almanini: We are committed to enhancing healthcare delivery to meet the growing demands of the health sector, aligning with the UAE's national agenda on advanced health sciences and healthcare excellence. With the ongoing Phase 2 developments focusing on expanding healthcare and residential facilities, we aim to cater to the growing and evolving healthcare needs and enable companies to contribute towards enhancing the wellness of the community. This aligns with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan objective of developing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities to provide a healthy environment to residents and visitors. We are also determined to promote medical education and establish specialised medical research centres, further enriching our ecosystem which is currently home to several medical education and medical research centres. This provides a robust platform for professional development, innovation and knowledge exchange. As Dubai's healthcare investment hub, we will continue fostering an ecosystem where healthcare, wellness and community thrive together, supporting the emirate's long-term vision for a world-class healthcare sector. Read:
Khaleej Times
31-01-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: 2 doctors win Hamdan bin Rashid Award for Medical Excellence
Two doctors from Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have won awards at the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Medical Excellence Awards 2024, organised by the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences. The two doctors won in the categories of 'Medical Innovation' and 'Distinguished in the Health Sector.' They presented research and programmes that contribute to enhancing healthcare for diabetes patients. The list of winners also included two doctors who graduated from the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Dr. Fathia Fardallah Al-Awadhi, Consultant and Head of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Department and Director of Medical Departments at Dubai Hospital, affiliated with Dubai Health Authority, won the award in the 'Distinguished in the Health Sector' category. Dr. Mohammed Hassanein, Professor at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Consultant Endocrinologist at Dubai Healthcare City, won the award in the 'Medical Innovation' category for his study titled 'Diabetes Risk Calculator and Ramadan Fasting.'. Dr. Fathia Al Awadhi said that the win is the culmination of a long journey of effort and dedicated work, extending her thanks to Dubai Healthcare City for its continuous support that enabled her to achieve this distinction. Dr. Mohammed Hassanein said that winning the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Excellence in the 'Medical Innovation' category is an achievement that reflects the importance of scientific research and innovation in improving the quality of healthcare, noting that the 'Diabetes Risk Calculator and Ramadan Fasting' was the result of a collective effort, as she supervised it alongside a distinguished research team that included Professor Bashar Al Afandi from Tawam Hospital, Dr. Munira Al Arouj from Dasman Diabetes Foundation in Kuwait, and Dr. Shahla Al Sheikh from Saifee University in Mumbai, India. The award also witnessed the victory of two doctors who graduated from the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences: Dr. Rashid Al Ruwaiei, who graduated from the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery programme and won the award for the 'Best Research in the Health Sector' category, and Dr. Tala Talawi, who graduated from the Pediatrics Residency Programme within the Postgraduate Medical Studies Programmes and won the award for the 'Best Medical Research' category within a research team.
