Forbes Middle East Healthcare Leaders' Summit – 5th Edition (Abu Dhabi 2026)
22 Sep 2026 – 23 Sep 2026 · Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · In-Person
The 5th Edition of the Forbes Middle East Healthcare Leaders' Summit returns to Abu Dhabi on 22–23 September 2026 at Emirates Palace, convening policymakers, regulators, hospital chief executives, life-sciences leaders and scientific pioneers under the theme "Defining Global Standards in Healthcare Excellence". Presented in partnership with PureHealth, the summit is one of the region's highest-level healthcare leadership platforms — an agenda-setting forum rather than a conventional scientific congress.
Why this edition matters
Across two days, the summit examines the priorities reshaping health systems in the UAE and beyond: the rising burden of non-communicable and chronic disease, the operational reality of precision medicine and genomics, the arrival of regulated clinical AI and robotics, and the financing and insurance models that determine whether innovation actually reaches patients. The framing is deliberately cross-sector — regulation, capital, clinical delivery and technology discussed in the same room.
Programme structure — six themes over two days
Day 1 (22 September) opens with the national anthem and opening keynote, then moves through three themes:
- Theme 1 — Catalysing Progress: policy and national ambition, regulatory evolution and access pathways, global collaboration, and a fireside chat on the future of patient experience.
- Theme 2 — Longevity and Precision Health: engineering longer, healthier lives; converging genomics, digital biomarkers and predictive intelligence.
- Theme 3 — Advancing Population Health: chronic and non-communicable disease, insurance in modern care models, and mental health as a pillar of population health.
Day 2 (23 September) continues with:
- Theme 4 — Smart Care Ecosystems: AI, robotics and data in clinical environments; preparedness and resilience; wearables, immersive tech and digital platforms; virtual, remote and hybrid care delivery.
- Theme 5 — Scientific Breakthroughs and Global Collaboration: clinical development and real-world evidence; biologics, cell and gene therapies.
- Theme 6 — Capital with Purpose: how capital, entrepreneurship and strategic leadership drive growth and long-term impact.
Who is speaking
The faculty spans government and regulation — H.E. Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi (Director General, Emirates Drug Establishment), H.E. Dr. Rashed Obaid Ali Al Suwaidi (Abu Dhabi Public Health Center), H.E. Dr. Amin Hussain Al Ameeri (MoHAP), Dr. Asma Al Mannaei (Department of Health – Abu Dhabi) — alongside provider and industry leadership including Shaista Asif (Group CEO, PureHealth), Dimitris Moulavasilis (Group CEO, M42), Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi (CEO, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City), Dr. Madhu Sasidhar (Apollo Hospitals) and Dan Vahdat (Founder & CEO, Huma). A dedicated Doctors' Corner brings practising consultants in gastroenterology, paediatric neurology, radiology, reproductive medicine, geriatrics and longevity into the discussion.
Who should attend
Healthcare executives and hospital leadership, health authority and regulatory professionals, pharma and medtech commercial leaders, insurers, digital health founders and investors, and clinicians in leadership or quality roles who want visibility on where regional policy and investment are heading.
Registration
Delegate Pass — early bird USD 200 (standard USD 400): full summit access, reserved main-stage seating, priority registration, lunch and coffee breaks, and a post-event digital content pack. A complimentary Visitor Pass provides access to the summit area, panel discussions and exhibiting partners.
Applications to join as a speaker, moderator or partner are open via the organiser's forms. Note that speaker participation does not include travel or accommodation support.
This is a leadership and policy summit; no CME credits are advertised by the organiser.
