The GCC healthcare sector will have over 114,000 beds by 2020, said the organisers of the upcoming GCC Healthscape Summit in Dubai, UAE.

The fourth edition of the event will be held on December 6 and 7 under the theme “Enabling a healthier procurement landscape in healthcare”.

The event, organised by IDE Consulting Services, a leading procurement consulting firm, is expected to host decision-makers and major players from regional government healthcare providers and private hospitals, along with consultants, architects and health projects contractors.

“We are happy to announce the fourth edition of the HealthScape Summit in the Middle East. After an intensive analysis of the healthcare landscape in the GCC region we have come up with accurate data on regional projects, existing and upcoming, and their procurement prospects,” said Ganesh Babu, director - India & Middle East, IDE.

The summit is a unique opportunity to clinch huge deals and build partnerships, he added.

With a focus on GCC countries, the event will gather more than 160 buyers and project promoters, including representatives from healthcare complexes, multi-speciality hospitals, super-speciality hospitals, diagnostic centres and polyclinics.

On the other hand, 80+ suppliers and solution providers will be there to showcase medical products and services from the healthcare-related segments of construction, architecture, interior design, engineering and technology.

The summit comes at a time when there is a rising demand for medical services and a strong governmental support to the investments in healthcare facilities.

The Alpen Capital’s GCC Healthcare Industry report issued in February 2016 has forecast growth of the GCC healthcare market from $40.3 billion in 2015 to $71.3 billion in 2020, with hospital beds reaching 113,925.

According to the same report, the UAE healthcare market is projected to top $19.5 billion by 2020, achieving an annual average growth of 12.7 per cent. The number of hospital beds will increase at nearly 3 per cent annually to cross 13,800 beds by 2020.  The Saudi Arabian healthcare market is projected to touch $27.4 billion in 2020, registering a CAGR of 11 per cent since 2015.

“There are more than 549 on-going projects in the region. At this summit, stakeholders in the healthcare market from UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman will be interacting directly with global suppliers who will present the latest innovations related to medical equipment, furniture, automation, information and communication technology and safety and security systems, among others,” Babu added.

Panel discussions and presentations are planned to provide a full understanding of the GCC healthcare sector’s special characteristics and requirements, in addition to introducing distinctive projects and solutions. – TradeArabia News Service