UAE, Dubai, September 4, 2024 – Healthcare providers in Dubai served 691,000 medical tourists in 2023, with collective spending totalling in excess of 1.03 billion dirhams (US$280.4 million). The figure, published by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), represents a year-on-year rise, up from 674,000 medical tourists in 2022, spending a total of 992 million dirhams.
The DHA stated that based on data obtained from Digital Dubai, 58% of international health tourists visiting the emirate last year were women, while 42% were men.
A third (33%) of the total originated in Asia, while 28% came from Arab countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Almost a quarter came from European countries, including members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Dentistry, dermatology, gynaecology
Meanwhile, the most in-demand specialties were dentistry – for which 29% of tourists were visiting – as well as dermatology (27%) and gynaecology (13%).
Additionally, indirect revenue – spending by medical tourists on other goods and services while visiting Dubai – totalled 2.3 billion dirhams in 2023.
The DHA stated that it believes the rise is driven by growing confidence in the quality of the emirate’s healthcare services across different medical specialties, as well as its competitiveness in the sector, both regionally and globally.
Dubai-based firm Aster DM Healthcare announced plans to build a new 126-bed medical facility last year – making specific reference to the emirate’s growing potential as a medical tourism destination.
