Health Qatar among countries imposing Covid tests for Chinese travellers Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as coronavirus cases in the country surge following its relaxation of “zero-Covid” rules. International health experts predict at least one million deaths in China this year. However, China has played down concerns, saying decisions by some countries to impose a requirement for […] January 4, 2023
Development Bill Gates hails UAE president’s action on Covid and polio Bill Gates has praised his foundation’s partnership with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s president, for its progress in tackling Covid-19 and polio. The philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder told an event in Abu Dhabi on Sunday: “We’ve worked with the [UAE] president on a number of things – he has been very generous […] December 13, 2022
Exclusive Health G42 Healthcare executive hails new era after Amazon tie-up “We want to reach everywhere at scale and at speed.” Many business leaders might say so, but when Dr Fahed Al Marzooqi, chief operating officer of G42 Healthcare, tells AGBI this, he has good reason. G42 Healthcare, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42, recently struck a deal with Amazon’s cloud computing arm – […] November 23, 2022
Health Venture capital firm to bring healthcare technology to the UAE An Abu Dhabi-based venture capital firm has obtained approval from regulators to invite investors into healthcare startups in the US and elsewhere with a view to bringing specialist technology to the Middle East. Biosis Ventures said this week it had in principle received permission from the Abu Dhabi Global Market to offer venture capital products […] November 17, 2022
Real Estate Nakheel secures $4.6bn from Dubai banks to build more islands Dubai developer Nakheel has secured 17 billion dirhams ($4.63 billion) from local banks for projects including its latest collection of manmade islands, the company said on Tuesday. The state-owned developer best known for Palm Jebel Ali said the financing came from a syndicate of three Dubai lenders: Emirates NBD, Mashreq Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank. […] November 8, 2022
Analysis Health Region urged to support vaping to deter smoking black market High taxes and outright bans imposed in some Middle East countries on e-cigarettes and vaping products have been blamed for pushing smokers to the black market and slowing the transition away from nicotine products in the region. Black market numbers in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE are “alarming” and can only be resolved by […] November 4, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Health ‘Full support’ for Abu Dhabi biotech tie-up with Israel Abu Dhabi would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Israel to accelerate the development of biotechnology capabilities in the UAE. Dr Dirk Richter, senior advisor and director of health sector innovation with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, said the emirate is “really open” to forging a partnership with the likes of the Hadassah Medical […] October 27, 2022
Economy China’s Xi talks up security, COVID stance as congress opens Chinese President Xi Jinping called for accelerating the building of a world-class military while touting the fight against COVID-19 as he kicked off a Communist Party Congress by focussing heavily on security and reiterating policy priorities. Xi, 69, is widely expected to win a third leadership term at the conclusion of the week-long congress that […] October 17, 2022
Health Saudi to offer $12.7bn worth of health projects to private sector Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health is planning to approve 100 projects in cooperation with the private sector over the next five years, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing health minister Fahad Al-Jalajel. These projects will be worth around SAR 48 billion ($12.7 billion), he said, adding it includes the establishment of two medical […] October 11, 2022
Health UAE hospital operator Burjeel in share surge on $300m IPO debut The healthcare firm offered 11% of its shares on the ADX as proceeds from Middle Eastern IPOs continue to rise, bucking the global trend October 10, 2022
Health Moody’s says hospitals and utilities face high hacking risks Around $22 trillion of global debt rated by Moody’s has a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ exposure to the risk of cyber attack, the ratings agency said in a report on Thursday, with hospitals and utilities seen at the greatest risk. Out of $80 trillion worth of debt across 71 sectors that the rating agency monitors, […] September 30, 2022
Health Europe drugmakers may cut output due to high energy bills Europe’s drugmakers have warned they may stop making some cheap generic medicines because of surging electricity costs and are calling for an overhaul of the way they are priced, the latest industry to seek help as the energy crisis deepens. The generic drug industry lobby group Medicines for Europe, which represents companies including Teva, Novartis’s […] September 29, 2022
Health COVID-19 restrictions in UAE to loosen from Wednesday The situation is stable in the UAE as infections decline, says the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority September 27, 2022
Health Burjeel eyes local investors for IPO after IHC buys stake Abu Dhabi-based hospital operator Burjeel Holdings is seeking local investors for its planned initial public offering, two sources said, scrapping plans to seek foreign investors after Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company (IHC) took a 15 percent stake this week. Egypt-listed EFG-Hermes and JP Morgan are no longer on the deal, said the sources, declining to […] September 23, 2022
Exclusive Health Altibbi plans healthcare expansion in North Africa and Pakistan Altibbi, the largest AI-based digital health provider in the Arab world, is looking to expand into North Africa and Pakistan after “turbocharging” growth in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, its CEO has told AGBI. Jalill Allabadi said the proceeds from Altibbi’s latest funding round of $44 million – the largest ever single financing round for a […] September 19, 2022
Health Abu Dhabi’s IHC acquires 15% stake in Burjeel Holdings Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) has purchased a 15 percent stake in healthcare provider Burjeel Holdings. The acquisition aims to diversify IHC’s investment in the healthcare sector locally and regionally, WAM, the UAE state news agency, reported. Founded in 2007, UAE-based Burjeel Holdings is a private healthcare services provider, with a growing presence in […] September 19, 2022
Health Pure Health to invest $500m in US hospitals giant Ardent Alpha Dhabi Holding's healthcare subsidiary will acquire a minority stake in Ardent, an acute care specialist that employs 26,000 people September 5, 2022
UAE health firm Burjeel plans Saudi expansion as IPO nears UAE healthcare provider Burjeel Holdings, established under VPS Healthcare, on Wednesday announced plans to expand into Saudi Arabia ahead of its initial public offering (IPO) later this year. The company, which owns and operates hospitals and other healthcare facilities, will invest up to $1 billion in the Kingdom by 2030 as part of a memorandum […] August 25, 2022
Health Britain to recruit health workers from Nepal to offset shortage Britain will recruit health professionals from Nepal under its first labour agreement with the Himalayan country, officials said on Monday, helping Britain offset a labour gap while Nepal bids to boost remittances from migrant workers. A joint statement by Nepal government and the British Embassy in Kathmandu said they had signed a preliminary agreement to […] August 23, 2022
Health Johnson & Johnson to end global sales of talc-based baby powder Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talc-based baby powder globally in 2023, the drugmaker said, more than two years after it ended US sales of a product that drew thousands of consumer safety lawsuits. “As part of a worldwide portfolio assessment, we have made the commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder […] August 15, 2022
Health Macau turns more casino hotels into Covid medical centres Macau authorities have added two hotels in popular casino resorts to be used as Covid-19 medical facilities from Friday as they try to ramp up capacity to handle a surge of infections in the world’s biggest gambling hub. The east wing of Grand Lisboa Palace owned by SJM Holdings and the Grand Hyatt hotel owned […] July 8, 2022
Health Saudi Arabia to invest $3.4bn in vaccine, biomedical drugs sector Saudi Arabia’s industry and Mineral Resources minister said on Friday the country would invest $3.4 billion in the vaccine and biomedical drugs sector, according to state news agency SPA. The Minister Bandar Alkhorayef, who heads the newly-established vaccines and biopharmaceutical industry committee, said the move is part of the kingdom’s push towards achieving pharmaceutical security […] June 25, 2022
