The operational layer
Yes, the badge count is huge and the booths glossier than a cardiology stent, but Arab Health works because it’s transactional. It’s a marketplace with the psychology of a hospital group negotiating its next five years—consumables, diagnostics, imaging, workforce, data. This year’s big motif: vertical integration. Private groups and public systems alike are bundling devices, software and financing into procurement blocks.
What cut through the noise
- Imaging + AI bundles that ship with data governance, on‑prem inference for latency/sovereignty, and clear service‑level agreements—no more science projects.
- Primary‑care‑to‑specialty platforms offering referral management, home monitoring and insurer integration as a single contract, not six. In markets where payers are consolidating, this is oxygen.
- Sterilization and CSSD upgrades—unsexy, decisive. Infection control wins deals when CFOs see readmission reductions.
Why the GCC context matters
Regional buyers are prioritizing local service capability, Arabic‑first patient UX, and data localization. Vendors leaning into training pipelines (nursing, biomedical engineering, health IT) are winning. The med‑tourism narrative is still alive, but the procurement mood is about domestic capacity and resilience.
Dates & place: Ran 27–30 January 2025 at Dubai World Trade Centre; we include it in the Q1 rundown because so many deals set the tone for February.
