The healthcare sector in the GCC has witnessed rapid growth during the pandemic, and this progress continues unabated. Regional governments understand that they can reap considerable advantages from digital technology, such as improved coordination of care, real-time monitoring of chronic conditions, enhanced accuracy in diagnosis, and more efficient treatments. Particularly, the UAE and Saudi Arabia who have embraced digital health solutions throughout the healthcare value chain to enhance patient services.
Even the smaller GCC countries understand this is a key area of growth. Bahrain’s Economic Development Board, for example, lists foreign direct investment in healthcare (including digital health solutions) as a priority sector, and its medical devices market will increase by 25 per cent to 30 per cent in 2021 as the number of elective surgical procedures increases. Healthcare digitisation spending will likely reach US$600 million by 2025.
This is all driven by evolving patient attitudes and expectations of the type of care they receive. Virtual care, enabled by telehealth, is expected to become the ‘new normal’ in the GCC region.
“According to a KPMG report, healthcare-related expenditure in the Gulf grew from $60bn in 2013 to $76bn in 2019 and was expected to scale to $89bn in 2022”
Gulf Business
A combined digital health market of Saudi Arabia and the UAE will reach an estimated $4bn by 2026
The rising demand in digital healthcare services could be attributed to several factors, namely a burgeoning population, growing consumer demand and greater efficiency
McKinsey & Company
The Telehealth market in UAE will exceed $536.5m by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 25 percent from 2020 to 2025…
The highest growing segment within Telehealth will be virtual visit market, which is expected to grow from $73.5m in 2020 to $280.7m by 2025, representing a CAGR of 30.7 percent.
Frost and Sullivan
