CW+ Premium Content/CW Middle East

The Gulf’s healthcare sector has witnessed exponential growth in the past two decades. This trend is being driven by the region’s rapidly growing population and a rise in lifestyle-related diseases (NCDs), such as obesity and diabetes. The region’s lengthening average life expectancy is also adding strain to its under-resourced medical sector. In an effort to stave off an impending healthcare crisis, the Arabian Gulf has committed billions of dollars to building more hospitals and improving medical services. According to research from Ardent Advisory, increased government spending drove the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) healthcare market to expand by 7.7% a year on average between 2009 and 2014, to reach $55bn. In the years to come, technology will be critical to solving the region’s serious healthcare challenges, according to experts. Walid Tohme, partner with Strategy& and a member of the firm’s health and digital business practices, said the region was modernising its healthcare sector by digitising medical information, such...