In a clear sign that Dubai is making a quantum leap to become a global medical tourism hub, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has revealed that a whopping 674,000 medical tourists arrived in Dubai in the calendar year 2022. The tourists spent about Dh992 million. In 2021, the comparative figures were 630,000 and Dh730 million respectively.

"Dubai’s strategic location, safety, modern infrastructure, and world-leading amenities add to the factors that have raised its status as a medical tourism hub," says Awadh Al Ketbi, Director General, DHA.

The DHA says that out of the total number of medical tourists who arrived in Dubai in 2022, 39% were from Asia, 22% from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and 21% from various Arab and GCC countries.

The three specialties that reported the highest number of medical tourists in Dubai last year were dermatology, dentistry, and gynaecology. Medical tourists also visited the Emirate to see medics in the orthopaedic, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, and fertility treatment fields.

The UAE and Dubai have established themselves as leading medical tourism centers, with Dubai in particular, being ranked the number one Arab destination for medical tourism with top ranking in the Medical Tourism Index.

Dubai is enhancing its healthcare infrastructure to attract approximately 500,000 medical tourists annually in the coming years. It plans to achieve this by providing a world-class

healthcare model and an integrated medical care system offering state-of-the-art centers and treatment methods, advanced technology, smart solutions, and highly-qualified professionals across all fields of medicine, the DHA says.