According to a new global index, the GCC countries has been secured the title of being the “medical tourism capital of the world” with UAE ranked first place in the region.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi ranked ninth globally in the latest Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021.
As per the Medical Tourism Association, Oman ranked second and Bahrain came in the third position along with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait ranked fourth and sixth respectively from the GCC countries.
The GCC Medical Tourism Market, which is expected to touch $28 billion by the end of 2024 will also become the medical tourism capital of the world as major GCC countries are ranked in the top positions in the index of leading medical tourism hubs.
Ranking as per International Healthcare Research Center
Canada has been ranked the first position in medical tourism in the index developed by the International Healthcare Research Center which conducted in 46 countries on American perception medical care. The countries which included in the top 10 positions are the US, Dubai, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Spain, Israel Japan, India, Costa Rica and the UK.
The state of the medical tourism industry, destination attractiveness and quality of care are the criteria used for finding the top medical tourism place among the others.
And the ranking relies upon various factors such as current levels of medical tourism, destination environment, patient experience and the attractiveness of traditional tourism.
The UAE has been praised by the judges, commending about its “comprehensive system” and Oman was spotted as a ‘High-quality healthcare destination’.
The number of annual visitors to Bahrain and the connection to Saudi Arabia through the 25 km King Fahd Causeway has become another key factor in its ranking as a medical tourism hub.
There are prominent health institutions working in this region such as the Bahrain based Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the planned $ 270 million King Abdullah Medical City which provides more health investment opportunities.
Special strength in cardiology and gynecology, exciting growth opportunities, focused position, and promising skills make Bahrain a regional leader in the specialized healthcare sector.
The focus on medical technology is inspired by the strong technical infrastructure, which also helps to provide more research data to improve medical practices.
With a combined annual growth rate of 8.8 percent between 2018 and 2024, the tourism sector is expecting to reach $28 billion by the end of 2024 and in 2017, the value of the GCC medical tourism market was approximately $15.5 billion.
More than $2 billion spent per year for the GCC citizens by global medical tourism for foreign treatment, as per the International Medical Travel Journal. The high demand has led, to an increase in local facilities offering new choices to citizens, residents and tourists.
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