UAE – Mubasher: Mubadala Investment Company announced that its healthcare arm Mubadala Healthcare has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Nirvana Travel and Tourism.
Upon the MoU, the two parties will collaborate on projects that underpin a key Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 objective of setting the emirate as a leading medical tourism destination, according to a press release.
Potential visitors from the GCC, MENA, Russia, China, and India will be the main focus of the collaborations, including aspects such as forming attractive and all-inclusive medical tourism packages and prospecting joint marketing and business opportunities.
Abdulla Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, head of Mubadala Healthcare, commented: “By working together, Mubadala and Nirvana can ensure that patients will experience only the highest standards across the full spectrum of treatment and travel, thus helping cement Abu Dhabi’s reputation as the destination of choice for healthcare.”
For his part, CEO of Nirvana Alaa Al Ali said: “Abu Dhabi’s huge investments into medical tourism have significantly boosted the sector and created numerous opportunities for us to enhance it. Cooperation between government agencies and partnership with the private sector contribute to making the capital a viable international medical hub.
“Nirvana and Mubadala will work together to meet the needs of patients drawn from abroad thus complementing Mubadala’s efforts to enhance the local healthcare sector utilizing existing healthcare expertise and the advanced infrastructure found here.”
Al Ali also indicates that Abu Dhabi has many qualifications that could make it one of the most “sophisticated and sustainable therapeutic tourism destinations in the world”.
These factors include the emirate’s strategic location, the excellent healthcare providers and expertise within the city, the solid legislation and regulation framework, and the thriving local economic and tourism sectors, he highlighted.
Moreover, Al Ali highlighted that Abu Dhabi attracts patients from over 80 countries, hoping it could become a key strategic market player worldwide in the medical tourism sector.
The partnership between medical and tourism entities comes in line with the example set by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health and Department of Culture and Tourism.
Under this collaboration, the departments have jointly established a patient portal which will act as a one‐stop shop that serves potential medical tourists and provide them information on the healthcare providers and medical tourism packages, as well as visa applications and accommodation.
It is worth noting that Mubadala's integrated healthcare network includes Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Healthpoint, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, National Reference Laboratory, Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, Capital Health Screening Centre, and Amana Healthcare.
