Health & Wellness Forget ‘Dry January’ – more Gulf drinkers ditching booze all year Dry January, the initiative of abstaining from alcohol for the first month of the year, has become a yearly fixture in many people’s lives since it was launched by Alcohol Change UK in 2013, and the Middle East is no exception. “We definitely see sales increase in the UAE,” Erika Doyle, founder and managing director […] January 27, 2023
Health & Wellness Healthtech provider targets early cancer detection across Mena Abdul Latif Jameel Health is planning to expand throughout the Middle East and Africa, its CEO Akram Bouchenaki has told AGBI. The multinational company – the healthcare business of Saudi family conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel – is looking at new locations and tech innovations as part of its ambition to accelerate the region’s access to […] January 6, 2023
Analysis Health & Wellness Gulf healthtech investment is just what the doctor ordered Technological innovation and broader changes in society are shifting the balance of power in healthcare across the Middle East region, increasing investment from entrepreneurs looking to capitalise on the sector’s digital revolution. “The same wave of personalisation and consumerisation that ushered in analytics-based recommendation engines for entertainment has programmed people to want healthcare that is […] January 4, 2023
Health & Wellness Bahrain’s GFH takes on US healthcare with Big Sky deal Bahrain’s GFH Financial Group announced on Tuesday it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Big Sky Asset Management, a US real estate asset manager focused on the healthcare sector. The transaction further expands GFH’s presence in the States and follows the partnership in May with SQ Asset Management, a specialist in student […] January 3, 2023
Analysis Health & Wellness Pharma giants move in on UAE as demand stretches local firms AstraZeneca and G42 Healthcare have signed an agreement to locally manufacture pharmaceuticals in Abu Dhabi. The agreement outlines collaboration in four key areas, including localisation of manufacturing, research and development, innovation and sustainability at a global scale. But while the deal aims to cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub for research and innovation in […] December 21, 2022
Opinion Employment Why parent-friendly policies can boost business performance The UAE has launched the Parent-Friendly Label (PFL) for businesses, encouraging them to offer policies and practices that support working parents of young children December 8, 2022
LONG READ Health & Wellness The business of sleep: from beating jet lag to space-age linen “I think it’s probably the easiest topic in the world because everybody is interested in it,” says Lilburne Opie, founder and CEO of Dubai-based company Linen Obsession, when we meet for this interview. She’s talking about sleep, which, like breathing, eating and drinking, is a vital necessity. “Even if you get enough time in bed, […] November 14, 2022
Analysis Health & Wellness PureGym eyes up to 130 branches as part of Mena expansion UK-based fitness brand PureGym has revealed plans to open branches in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), beginning in the UAE but with Egypt, Kuwait and Oman also on the radar. The company has signed an agreement with its franchise partner, Ektimal, to open at least 130 gyms across the region over the next […] October 26, 2022
Opinion Employment Companies must find ways to improve workplace wellbeing Investing in staff wellbeing will be small compared to the costs associated with replacing top performers, rising health insurance premiums, and increased absenteeism October 14, 2022
Health & Wellness Qatar to intensify labour inspections during World Cup Qatar will intensify labour inspections during the soccer World Cup including extra health and safety checks to protect workers from exploitation, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said on Wednesday. Rights groups and labour unions have warned that hospitality, transport and security workers are especially vulnerable during the month-long tournament, the first held in a […] October 6, 2022
Health & Wellness French cities to ban Qatar World Cup fan zones Several major French cities including Lille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux said they will not organise fan zones or put up giant outdoor screens to show Qatar World Cup soccer matches in protest against ecological and humanitarian issues. Leftist and ecologist mayors in those cities said the loss of immigrant workers’ lives during construction of the stadia […] October 4, 2022
Analysis Health & Wellness Injection of interest in beauty industry as men turn to ‘Brotox’ Botox injections are becoming increasingly commonplace among men in the business world, but could they really prove the difference in securing that big, career-defining deal? It may sound far fetched but businessmen in the Middle East are turning to botulinum toxin type A, as the pressure to look good in the “Zoom Boom” era continues […] September 18, 2022
Health & Wellness Enhance Fitness muscles in on Saudi health push Enhance Fitness, a Dubai-based personal training platform, has expanded into Saudi Arabia as the kingdom embraces a major health and fitness push, creating new business opportunities. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics recently revealed that 48 percent of people across the country now practice physical and sporting activities for at least 30 minutes a week. […] August 21, 2022
Health & Wellness Healthy fast food startups aim to tackle growing GCC obesity Following its success in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, health food eat-in and home delivery company Under500 is set to expand to Qatar. The firm’s low-calorie meals – served in franchised venues across the UAE and Saudi Arabia and via online delivery services such as Talabat and Deliveroo – are to be ordered by customers in Doha through delivery […] August 15, 2022
Opinion Health & Wellness Mark your diaries: the human longevity revolution is coming Ageing populations can be a challenge, but they're a huge opportunity too. By 2030, spending by senior citizens will make up 10 percent of global GDP July 25, 2022
Opinion Health & Wellness Digital drugs delivery – the next frontier in healthcare Tech innovations in pharmaceuticals delivery are part of the wider trend towards digitising medical services July 21, 2022
Exclusive Health & Wellness Mental health as important as salary in the Gulf Companies offering robust mental health support programmes will secure the best talent in the Gulf, according to the founder of a workplace wellbeing platform. Asim Amin, founder and CEO of Plumm, said that while businesses in the region have started to realise the importance of their employees’ mental wellbeing, there is “still a long way […] June 29, 2022
Health & Wellness UAE pledges mask clampdown as Saudi lifts all Covid restrictions Masks are no longer required indoors in Saudi Arabia, but the UAE has warned it will be 'strictly monitoring' its rules on face coverings June 13, 2022
Health & Wellness ADQ injects new life into healthcare portfolio ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment company, today announced it has agreed to acquire one of Turkey’s leading producers of sterile injectable products as part of plans to build an integrated healthcare and life sciences platform in the UAE. The company said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Birgi Mefar Group (BMG), a […] June 13, 2022
Health & Wellness From Austria to the UAE: Monkeypox cases around the world Over 20 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 300 confirmed or suspected infections mostly in Europe. The outbreaks are raising alarm because monkeypox, which spreads through close contact and was first found in monkeys, mostly occurs in west and central Africa, and only very occasionally […] June 2, 2022
Health & Wellness Nearly a fifth of UK monkeypox cases linked to travel Nearly a fifth of monkeypox cases reported in the United Kingdom are linked to travel, Britain’s UK Health Security Agency(UKHSA) said on Wednesday. Recent foreign travel to a number of different countries in Europe within 21 days of symptom onset has been reported by 34 confirmed cases, or 18 percent of the 190 cases of […] June 1, 2022
Health & Wellness UAE to open first robotic biobank in 2023 Al Jalila Foundation, a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, will establish the UAE’s first robotic biobank, in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The collaboration will advance medical research in the areas of genetic disorders, cancer and […] May 28, 2022