Qatar & Kuwait
From the 26th – 29th of November 2017 the Dutch Embassies in Qatar & Kuwait and the Task Force Health Care Middle East (TFHC) organised a Life Sciences & Health (LSH) mission to the Middle East. The Dutch delegation, consisting of 8 organisations, was provided excellent opportunities to meet new relevant business contacts and to learn more about the life sciences & health sector in Qatar & Kuwait.
Starting in Doha, the delegation was welcomed by the Deputy Head of Mission and Economic Counsellor at the Dutch Embassy. Visiting the fastest growing healthcare market in the region, it became clear that the country is investing heavily in its healthcare sector in general and in particular to cater to the demand of a growing population. Healthcare is a priority concern for the Qatari leadership. The country will be facing a relatively high rise in demand for healthcare over the course of the next two decades. Besides, receiving this first-hand market information the delegation enjoyed a collective visit to the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the main provider of secondary and tertiary healthcare in Qatar and one of the leading hospital providers in the Middle East. The private tour presented the Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Ambulatory Care Center and Qatar Rehabilitation Institute and the Qatar Financial Center (QFC). The day was ended with a networking reception with health stakeholders in Qatar, invitees included: Local & Dutch professionals active in the healthcare Qatar and Board members of Dutch Business Council in Qatar.
The Qatari government is constantly upgrading the quality of health services using technology, international expertise and knowledge. During a meeting with the Ministry of Public Health the Qatari announced the continuation of the National Health Strategy. With the aim to develop a more comprehensive, integrated, preventive, skilled, policy-targeted, affordable and high quality healthcare system, which will improve healthcare access for the population. It is said that the NHS 2017-2022, consists of plans to nearly double the existing number of hospitals and medical centres from 35 to 66 by 2022. Enough reason to visit Sidra Medical and Research Center, Aspetar Hospital and Qatar Red Crescent and get a valuable insights in the rapid developments. The last mentioned, operates from 4 different hospitals to provide free care for guest workers coming from surrounding countries and are planning to develop a new specialist health centre this year. In a statement Dr. Al-Qahtani of Red Crescent said, “We have plans to upgrade our medical capacity and resources, in order to create a safer and healthier environment that reflects positively on productivity and public health care services. The visit of the Dutch delegation emphasized the great potential for mutual growth through continued coordination”.
Kuwait
As well as Qatar, neighbouring country Kuwait will witness rapid growth in the healthcare sector in the next 5 years, reflecting heavy investment in the country’s healthcare infrastructure. This will allow the Kuwaiti government to act early to tackle the projected future healthcare requirements. During a presentation of the Ministry of Health, the Dutch delegation were presented with plans to expand public healthcare provisions to meet public demand, including advanced new hospitals and specialist medical centres. The private healthcare market in Kuwait is estimated to grow by 15-20% in the coming years. Several new private hospitals are expected to open adding 1,800 hospital beds. There are currently 20 large-scale mega healthcare projects planned in Kuwait, worth 3.5 billion KD. To complete their visit and form an image of the current development in Kuwait a visit was arranged to the public Al Amiri Hospital and private Mowasat Hospital.
