Medical tourism in Dubai ‘ahead of regional peers’
DUBAI, November 27, 2015
Dubai has consolidated its standing as a preferred medical tourism destination, according to experts.
Dr Ihab William, director of Dr William Dental Center, said that demand for cosmetic dentistry in the emirate, especially for the so-called 'Hollywood Smile,’ is three times more than in Lebanon.
He attributed this to the advancement of the sector, convenience and proximity to other Gulf states that make up a huge chunk of the clientele.
The news comes at a time when Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has chalked out plans to increase the proportion of foreign visitors coming for medical treatment into Dubai by almost 12 per cent, with a target of 500,000 medical tourists by 2020, bringing in a total revenue of Dh2.6 billion ($707.6 million) from medical tourism alone.
In 2012, the number of medical tourists was about 107,000, with a pending worth nearly Dh653 million.
"Dubai has an ambitious vision regarding medical tourism and cosmetic dentistry, as the Emirate has proven over the years that it has what it takes to become the medical capital of the Arab region, thanks to advanced levels of both therapeutic and cosmetic services,” said Dr William.
"We have a significant client base from outside the UAE, who fly all the way over seeking outstanding dentistry services. We have witnessed footfall from various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan,” he said.
“Our experience has proved that happy patients refer new patients from everywhere. People now rely more on actual experience of others, they even go online to look for reviews or try to understand a certain concept through social media.”
"Since dentistry is a sensitive issue, one cannot choose a doctor because he is close to where he lives. There are many other factors that should go into account when choosing a doctor, including experience of not less than 5 years, specialisation, and selecting a specialised centre rather than a general dentistry centre," said Dr William.
"We were able to transfer the most advanced global technologies in this field to our Dubai clinics, and the demand in Dubai exceeded our expectations. We get visitors from all over the Gulf region to our Dubai branch. More visitors trust our services here, because of the presence of a highly competitive market," he added. - TradeArabia News Service
