Employment Zurich Middle East plots growth on needs of expats Zurich International Life, the Middle East division of Switzerland’s Zurich Insurance Group, is expanding its core business in response to rising demand from expatriates. With expats staying in the region for longer, there is a growing need for products and services such as life insurance, workplace savings plans and critical illness cover. There is also […] November 3, 2023
Construction Aldar to break ground on first Dubai project next year Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, has launched its first Dubai residential project, Haven, with construction of the first phase starting in the second quarter of 2024. The project will be developed with its joint venture partner Dubai Holding on the land opposite Al Habtoor Polo Resort in Dubailand. Aldar’s Haven will be built in […] October 27, 2023
Video length: 03:47 VIDEO Food & Drink Why so much food is wasted in the UAE The UAE aims to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030. “There is not much time left so we are working with speed to meet those targets,” said Khuloud Hasan Al Nuwais, chief sustainability officer of Emirates Foundation, which runs the national food loss and waste initiative Ne’ma. Food waste in the […] October 16, 2023
Analysis Tech Gulf accelerates longevity push with AI and healthtech The Gulf is establishing itself at the forefront of the world’s fast-growing “longevity” sector. Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular are making strides in the global race to prolong life, investing in health technologies that can predict medical risk and help develop medicines. They are investing in healthtech, building laboratories to support research and […] October 12, 2023
Analysis Sustainability Middle East air pollution among worst in the world Air pollution levels in the Middle East and North Africa region (Mena) are among the highest globally, and concentrations of harmful particulates are increasing in many of the region’s cities as economic activity returns to pre-pandemic levels. Measurements and definitions can vary, so Switzerland’s IQAir created a standardised air quality app to monitor and compare […] October 6, 2023
People & Lifestyle Mubadala in talks to buy stake in Indian hospital Mubadala is in talks to acquire a stake of less than 10 percent in India’s Manipal Hospitals, in what could be the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund’s first investment in the booming Indian healthcare space, people with direct knowledge said. The fund is holding talks with Singapore’s Temasek, which spent $2 billion in April to raise […] September 29, 2023
Health Saudi Arabia injects $133m into vaccine factory Saudi Arabia is planning to invest SAR500 million ($133 million) in a factory to boost local vaccine and medicine manufacturing capacity as the kingdom seeks to become a regional centre for biotechnology. Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, also known as Modon, has signed an investment agreement with the Vaccine Industrial Company to […] September 28, 2023
Opinion Health Sickbed musings on UAE medical care Wanted – a smart insurer to provide reasonable health insurance for older people in the UAE September 22, 2023
Health Al Jaber: climate change health risks need more investment Cop28 participating nations must increase financing to identify and mitigate climate change’s risks to human health, the summit’s president designate Sultan Al Jaber has said. “The connection between health and climate change is evident, yet it has not been a specific focus of the Cop process – until now,” Al Jaber told the UN General […] September 19, 2023
People & Lifestyle Amanat and Mada to develop Saudi health PPPs Amanat Holdings has partnered with Mada International Holding to develop public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the healthcare industry across Saudi Arabia. Amanat, a Dubai-listed healthcare and education investment company, and Saudi developer Mada are already considering a tender for the 900-bed PPP post-acute care facilities in Riyadh and Dammam. The tie-up is expected to fuel Amanat’s […] September 11, 2023
Health Leejam seeks payoff for forced closure of Riyadh gyms Leejam Sports Company is seeking compensation after being forced to close two of its gyms in Riyadh. The shuttered Fitness Time centres are on land in the city’s Al Khuzama district, which has been earmarked for the $50 billion Diriyah Gate project. In a filing to the Saudi Stock Exchange, Leejam said the two centres […] September 11, 2023
People & Lifestyle Saudi’s Care buys Jeddah hospital for $52m Saudi Arabian hospitals operator National Medical Care Company (Care) has agreed to buy Saudi Medical Care Group’s 100 percent stake in a hospital in Jeddah for SAR193.22 million ($51.51 million). The acquisition of the Chronic Care Specialized Medical Hospital will support Care’s health service expansion strategy and take advantage of the growth opportunities available in […] September 11, 2023
Health TruDoc’s new owner seeks to expand virtual health provider Virtual healthcare provider TruDoc has been bought by a private equity company that aims to accelerate its growth across south Asia, the GCC and Africa. Pulsar Capital bought a minority stake in TruDoc last year and has increased its investment to take a controlling interest. TruDoc serves markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia as well […] September 6, 2023
Health PureHealth buys UK private hospital group for $1.2bn Pure Health, the largest healthcare group in the Middle East, is buying Circle Health Group, the UK’s largest operator of private hospitals. The deal, valued at AED4.4 billion ($1.2 billion), is Pure Health’s first entry into the UK. Based in Abu Dhabi, Pure Health has a network of more than 25 hospitals, 160 laboratories, 100 […] August 28, 2023
People & Lifestyle Saudi healthcare group Fakeeh weighs IPO Saudi Arabia’s Fakeeh Care, one of the largest private hospital groups in the kingdom, is considering selling a 30 percent stake through an initial public offering (IPO), two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The family-owned business, with hospitals in Jeddah and Riyadh, has appointed HSBC to advise on the deal, said the […] August 28, 2023
Exclusive Health US biotech manufacturer seeks Gulf genomics partners US biotech company ProPhase Labs is in talks with prospective partners in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. ProPhase Labs, which is listed on Nasdaq, has appointed two advisers: investment bank ThinkEquity and Al Ramz Corporation, a capital markets financial institution in Abu Dhabi. Discussions with potential partners in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia are […] August 22, 2023
People & Lifestyle UAE decking out offices to promote worker wellbeing The UAE is increasingly adopting building standards that meet employee demand for office conditions that enhance wellbeing. The Middle East has witnessed a 24-fold increase in Well Building Standard adoption over the last 19 months, with a large majority coming from the UAE. The Well Building Standard is an international system that measures, monitors and […] August 17, 2023
Health PIF sets up company to help Saudi women get fitter Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has launched a company aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of women in the kingdom. The business, Kayanee, will focus on fitness, apparel, personal care and treatments, nutrition and diagnostics, healthy eating and learning. The Public Investment Fund-backed company will be chaired by Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, […] August 7, 2023
Health Omani firm begins work on $155m vaccine facility Muscat-based Opal Bio Pharma Company has started work on Oman’s first life-saving medicines and vaccine factory. The OMR60 million ($155.84 million) facility will cover 37,000 sq m at Khazaen Economic City and will be completed in two years. Details of the manufacturing capacity were not disclosed. Chairman Saad Moosa Al Junaibi said that the factory […] July 14, 2023
Health Mubadala-backed Recursion secures new $50m funding Chip designer Nvidia will invest $50 million to speed up training of biotech firm Recursion’s artificial intelligence models for drug discovery, the companies announced, sending Recursion’s shares surging about 83 percent. Recursion, whose advisers include AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, will use its biological and chemical datasets exceeding 23,000 terabytes to train AI models on Nvidia’s […] July 13, 2023
Health NMC Healthcare founder BR Shetty faces $4bn lawsuit Administrators have filed a $4 billion lawsuit against the founder of NMC Healthcare BR Shetty and its former chief executive, related to allegations of fraud which led to its demise in 2020. Legal claims have been made in the UK and Abu Dhabi centred around Shetty, Prasanth Manghat and the Bank of Baroda, as reported […] July 12, 2023
Health PIF’s Lifera and Sanofi join hands to produce vaccines A subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has signed an agreement to increase the local production of vaccines. Lifera, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), French pharma major Sanofi and Arabio, majority owned by Riyadh-based Tamer Group, will set up manufacturing facilities in the kingdom to produce vaccines for Saudi citizens. No details were […] July 7, 2023
