Abu Dhabi will be hosting a key annual healthcare event from next year, as part of efforts to promote the emirate as a leading medical tourism destination, a report said.

The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) to coordinate efforts to position Abu Dhabi as a world-class healthcare hub with the hosting of MTA’s annual World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress in Abu Dhabi every year, said a report in WAM.

The globally recognised event brings together experts and organisations from more than 100 countries worldwide and regularly attracts more than 10,000 visitors, approximately 200 exhibitors and sponsors and up to 100 hosted VIP buyers.

The MoU, which was signed by Saif Saeed Ghobash, undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, and Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of Medical Tourism Association and the chairman and co-founder of Global Healthcare Resources, opens a path for the two entities to strategically cooperate to further build a medical tourism opportunity for consumer markets in several key areas, including Russia, China, India and across the GCC, it said.

The agreement also includes the opening of a new MTA office in Abu Dhabi, as well as the creation of a new Abu Dhabi Destination Guide, which will be used to further promote the destination for the targeted regions.

The MTA partners with businesses seeking to establish a greater global presence in the healthcare, wellness and tourism industries, and the MoU, will see DCT Abu Dhabi and MTA co-ordinate their efforts in a variety of ways, including compiling an assessment of Abu Dhabi’s current medical tourism strategy as it looks to develop targeted markets, coordinating digital marketing initiatives, launching dedicated promotional roadshows across China, Russia and the GCC, as well as organising ‘Familiarisation tours’ to Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art medical facilities for specific hosted buyers.

These tours will also showcase the individual medical providers in Abu Dhabi, the quality of care provided, the strong regulations to safeguard the interest of the people who visit for treatments, the extensive range of treatments that are currently available, as well as the other tourism benefits that Abu Dhabi provides for patients and their companions during their visit, the report said.

"This agreement between our two organisations is in line with our mandate to promote Abu Dhabi on the world stage and to support Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030, which is designed to guide our emirate’s growth and development. The experience and knowledge shared under this MoU will greatly enhance the emirate’s ability to appeal to our intended markets as we look to increase the contribution of medical tourism to the UAE’s economy," the report cited Ghobash as saying.