Investments in healthcare projects worth more than Dh36.70 billion ($10 billion) planned or currently underway in the region will come under the spotlight at an upcoming conference in Dubai.

Organised by Meed, a business intelligence provider, the fifth edition of the annual Middle East Healthcare Projects Conference will be held on December 12 and 13 at The Westin Hotel.

The two-day conference will commence with a panel discussion on the overview of the healthcare projects sector in the GCC region, including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Saeed Al Shamsi, director of technical affairs, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), will offer an address on Dubai’s plans to implement healthcare projects worth Dh3.67 billion over the next year.

Diverse topics including key regulatory issues as well as the insurance sector, hospitals, healthcare infrastructure and healthcare PPP models will be taken up for discussion at the event that will bring together leading industry representatives.

Prof. Alan Dilani, public health architect from the International Academy for Design and Health, will throw light on a salutogenic approach to the design of the physical environment and how it can in turn promote efficiency while bringing down costs in healthcare, a relevant topic in the Middle East.

A recent Meed report highlighted a perceptible regional trend towards creating new hospitals rather than expanding existing facilities with the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia alone planning to build 100 new hospitals by 2015.

An outcome of this projection will see the region boasting some of the world’s most modern healthcare buildings, offering the latest technologies, the report said.

The per capita healthcare spending in the GCC countries is expected to grow faster than the global average, the report added.

According to a report from Alpen Capital, the GCC may need in excess of 25,000 additional beds by 2020 to address a growing demand. – TradeArabia News Service