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Why the UAE Is Becoming A Premier Destination For Medical Tourism

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

With a commitment to enhancing its healthcare offerings, the UAE has positioned itself as a leader in medical tourism, catering to a growing global demand. As countries focus on improving the health of their populations, the UAE stands out for its strategic investments in both healthcare infrastructure and its appeal to medical tourists.

According to Statista, the global medical tourism market was valued at $47 billion in 2024, with projections indicating it could exceed $111 billion by 2029. The UAE is setting the bar high, with innovative initiatives such as specialized portals for health tourists and streamlined entry processes for medical visitors.

Tailored Portals And Seamless Experiences

Abu Dhabi and Dubai have launched dedicated online platforms that streamline the process for medical tourists. These portals offer a range of services, including healthcare provider contact information, appointment bookings, hotel reservations, and local transportation. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) introduced the Dubai Health Experience (DXH) brand in 2016, aimed at making the city a global leader in health tourism. The platform offers a curated selection of top-tier treatments in fields such as dentistry, fertility, ophthalmology, and cosmetic surgery.

Meanwhile, in 2018, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health (DoH) rolled out its own e-portal, showcasing a network of over 40 healthcare facilities that meet the stringent quality standards of the DoH’s JAWDA program. Visitors can explore nearly 300 treatment packages across specialties ranging from routine check-ups to complex surgeries.

Simplified Access With Specialized Permits

To further attract international patients, the UAE offers specialized entry permits for medical tourists and their companions. These permits, which can be single or multiple entries, are sponsored by medical institutions and processed by relevant authorities in the country. Dubai Healthcare City also introduced a new medical visa in January 2024, allowing treatment centers to apply for permits on behalf of patients for stays of up to six months. This move bolsters Dubai’s reputation as a medical tourism hotspot.

The city welcomed 674,000 medical tourists in 2022, generating $270 million in revenue. Wellness tourism is also booming in the UAE, with visitors spending $5.4 billion in 2022—almost double the amount spent in 2020.

Innovation At The Forefront

The UAE’s innovative spirit continues to propel its rise as a medical tourism hub. In 2024, HealthStay.io, the world’s first AI-powered medical tourism solution, launched in partnership with Dubai Health Experience. This startup, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund’s Accelerator Program, uses artificial intelligence to automate the medical tourism journey, including selecting treatments and booking appointments.

“The launch of HealthStay.io is a direct result of the support from DXH and DHA, helping us transform Dubai into a global healthcare tourism leader,” said Ruairi Tubrid, co-founder of HealthStay.io. Fatima Yousif Alnaqbi, MBRIF representative, emphasized the importance of accelerator programs in supporting innovative solutions that elevate the UAE’s standing as a center of excellence in healthcare.

Government Commitment To Healthcare Excellence

The UAE’s rapid growth in medical tourism is rooted in its consistent focus on healthcare improvement. Key strategies such as the Emirates Health Services Innovation Strategy 2023-2026 and the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 aim to enhance residents’ quality of life and elevate the nation’s healthcare offerings.

Compared to its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) counterparts, the UAE leads in healthcare expenditure growth. Projections from Alpen Capital estimate that healthcare spending will reach $30.7 billion by 2027, reflecting the nation’s ongoing dedication to strengthening its healthcare infrastructure. As a result, the UAE continues to attract international patients seeking top-tier medical services.

Interpol Says AI Is Supercharging Cybercrime, Not Rewriting It

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Artificial intelligence is amplifying the reach, speed and credibility of cybercrime — but, according to Interpol, it is not fundamentally changing the playbook.

Artificial intelligence is giving criminals a more efficient way to commit familiar offenses such as scams and fraud, rather than creating an entirely new category of threat, according to Interpol.

Evolution, Not Revolution

AI is strengthening existing criminal techniques instead of replacing them, Bjorn R. Watne, Interpol’s global chief information security officer, told CNBC on the sidelines of Tech Week Singapore on Thursday.

Scam operators can now use AI to reach more victims at once, while advances in translation tools and digital identities are making fraudulent messages and interactions harder to distinguish from legitimate ones.

“It’s an evolution and not a revolution,” Watne said, adding that AI is primarily increasing the “speed and scale” of established tactics.

What Companies Should Protect First

As cyber threats become more sophisticated, Watne said companies should focus on protecting the assets that matter most to their operations.

That starts with identifying their “crown jewels” — the systems, data and infrastructure most critical to business continuity — and determining which adversaries would be most interested in targeting them.

From there, organizations can use threat intelligence to understand the methods and tools those actors rely on, then build defenses that are tailored to the risk.

“There is no need for everyone to try and protect against everything all at once when they’re not being targeted by it,” he said.

The right security posture, he added, depends on whether a company is facing opportunistic criminals or advanced persistent threat actors with more targeted objectives.

The Boardroom Gap In Cybersecurity

Watne also said many companies still struggle with a disconnect between executive leadership and cybersecurity strategy.

“There are still many industries where they haven’t realized that everyone today is an IT company,” he said.

Although cyber risk is rising on corporate risk registers, cybersecurity has not yet fully reached the boardroom in many organizations, Watne added.

Agentic AI Brings A New Category Of Risk

Watne said he is especially concerned about agentic AI — systems that can take actions on behalf of users — as the technology becomes more capable.

The risk, he warned, is no longer limited to an AI delivering inaccurate information. If an AI system begins making incorrect decisions or taking harmful actions in the physical world, the consequences could be far more serious.

“One thing is that an AI is feeding you the wrong information,” Watne said. “But when an AI is actually performing an action and it starts doing the wrong actions, especially in the physical domain, that can have consequences on bodily harm of humans.”

He pointed to the growing use of AI in cars and self-driving vehicles as a particularly sensitive area.

Why Trust Is The Real Vulnerability

Watne said those risks are compounded by the unusually high level of trust people place in technology compared with other sectors such as financial services.

In financial services, consumers tend to be more cautious and control-oriented, relying on safeguards such as PIN codes and staying alert to threats like card skimming. With technology, however, users often adopt new devices and applications quickly, without the same level of scrutiny.

“When it comes to technology, the trust level is through the roof,” Watne said, noting how readily people click through prompts and grant access to new tools.

As AI systems become more capable of acting on users’ behalf, he said that trust will require far greater scrutiny.

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