Arab Health in Dubai: Pakistan’s way forward into healthcare market?

As the world shrinks into the size of our palms, keeping an active global presence has become an integral part of marketing. Companies across the world build on their credibility, create network, and find business opportunities while converging on platforms that give them an exposure both online and offline.

The healthcare industry is no different, as was proven by the massive turnout at the Arab Health 2024, held between January 29 and February 1 in Dubai. One of the largest global B2B meetup of healthcare companies, the annual trade show proved to be an extremely successful platform in highlighting the latest trends in the industry, while capturing new markets and fortifying existing ones.

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For Pakistan’s medical and pharmaceutical industry, the event was significant given the proximity to the UAE, and the sheer number of markets it could tap into both for networking and building businesses.

“We gained good contacts and distributors by participating in the Arab Health exhibition where we displayed our products,” said Dr Shehla Javed Akram, CEO of Don Valley Pharmaceuticals, who has repeatedly participated at the global event.

“Dubai is a hub for many countries across the world to come and visit, and we do make good linkages.”

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This year, more than 40 Pakistani companies participated in the exhibition, many of them representing Pakistan for the first time at the event. However, the number is far too less to represent the actual strength of the country’s healthcare industry which stands to gain a lot by such a global exposure. Of those which represented the country at the event, the majority was exhibiting surgical instruments.

“I feel Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industries are not utilising the Arab Health platform the way it should have been. Few pharmaceutical companies exhibit their products here and mostly it is the surgical instrument industry that is more in number,” affirmed Dr Akram, stressing that more pharma companies need to make their mark in the event.

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As per a news report published in July last year, Pakistan aims to increase pharmaceutical exports to $1 billion by 2025 and $5 billion by 2030. The report further quoted that the country’s growth opportunities in the global pharma market value at around $1.4 trillion, highlighting the massive export potential in several regions.

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Currently with over 600 pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan, the international export of the combined industry stands at around $400 million, “which is nothing compared to what India and Bangladesh are exporting,” according to Dr Akram, who added that there are very few companies internationally certified to export to Europe and Far East, markets that we need to tap in.

Another local news report claimed that Pakistan’s surgical instrument industry exports $500 million worth of products annually, mainly manufactured in Sialkot. The country remains one of the main suppliers of global surgical instrument with the export increasing by 5.85 percent in FY23 over the same period last year, according to the data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

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“I’m so proud that we have the best medical instruments manufactured in Pakistan, and they are worldwide renowned,” said Kausar Perveen, CEO of The Surge International, exhibiting at Arab Health for the first time. “We’ve already met people from the Europe and Far East, but for us the bigger market is in the Europe, America and Australasia.”

With Dubai being a central ground, exhibitors find it convenient to market their products, and Perveen believes she “definitely” sees herself returning to the exhibition next year.

Reinforcing the significance of the event, Mohammad Yaqoub of Mana Healthcare Pvt Limited added: “This is a very good opportunity to market ourselves and to introduce our products to the worldwide community, especially the Middle East. The networking helps us as we build reliable contacts and take the business back to Pakistan”.

Besides exhibiting medical and pharmaceutical supplies, the trade show is also an important platform to promote medical tourism for patients from the sub-continental region. Over the years the UAE has taken several measures to plant itself on the global medical tourism map, with the result that the country is one of the fastest growing hubs for comparatively affordable medical and surgical procedures.

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“I have seen this country develop from a place where patients were going out for treatment, to a place where we see patients from all over the world coming in for healthcare procedures. This is mainly because of the top-of-the-line infrastructure, safety, security, and now international quality healthcare,” said Dr Raza Siddiqui, CEO, Arabian Healthcare Group.

With over 3,450 exhibiting companies from more than 180 countries, Arab Health attracts a wide range of participants, including healthcare professionals, industry experts, manufacturers, and suppliers across the globe. The trade show provides a comprehensive support for networking, knowledge-sharing, and exploring the latest advancements in healthcare. The platform also features educational sessions, workshops, and seminars led by industry experts for valuable insights, updates on industry trends, and opportunities for professional development.