Promising a healthy future

The Arab Health Exhibition beginning today is set to attract the best medical minds and present the latest technologies. When it comes to healthcare, there can be no compromise. Medical practitioners worldwide endeavour constantly to sharpen their skills to offer the best treatment to their patients. The Arab Health Exhibition and Congress is the region's leading healthcare event and meeting ground for medical professionals from all over the world. It attracts the best medical minds and encourages them to work pro-actively and create better medical facilities. In its 32nd year, the event offers companies the opportunity to showcase their products and services to a large and continually growing market. Exhibitors from 67 countries are expected to attend this year's conference, which will include 30 country pavilions. The event runs from January 29 to February 1, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC). About 33,000 visitors are expected to attend this year's exhibition in which the latest in innovative medical technologies and solutions will be discussed. The Arab Health Congress, the largest multi-track series of conferences in the world, promises to be the largest ever staged in the Middle East and will feature 16 conferences and workshops held during the four-day event. Some of the top international and national speakers in the healthcare industry will be presenting their views at the conference, which will be attended by more than 4,500 delegates. The congress will also have interactive hands-on practical workshops. One of the new sections is the rehab area, which incorporates 30 companies exhibiting the full spectrum of products available to rehabilitation specialists. The Middle East physical medicine and rehabilitation conference is another event to watch out for. To be held on January 31 and February 1, the conference is split into individual charge sessions including musculo-skeletal disorders, traumatic brain injury and pediatric rehabilitation. Walter Van Kuijen, Senior Vice-President, Philips Medical Systems, Europe, Middle East and Africa, says, "Philips Medical Systems has been a part of Arab Health since the first exhibition and we are very pleased to have seen it grow into one of the leading medical exhibitions in the world." This year Philips will be showcasing the Ambient Experience Catheterisation Lab, which aims to improve the workflow of physicians. According to Nart Mamser, Regional General Manager, Siemens, another major participant in the event, "The Arab Health Exhibition has become increasingly critical to Siemens, so much so it is now one of the five key trade shows for Siemens Medical Solutions worldwide." Certification programmes One of the unique aspects of this year's exhibition is the special certificate programme. For the first time in the region, every medical professional attending the exhibition will receive five hours of complimentary American Academy of Continuing Medical Education (AACME) accredited education. This comes just as the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced that all medical practitioners will be required to complete a minimum number of Continuing Medical Education (CME) hours to renew their medical licences. According to Dr. Abdul Ghaffa Abdul Ghafoor, Assistant UnderSecretary for Curative Medicine, MoH, "The continuing education of healthcare practitioners helps ensure that doctors are kept up-to-date with advances in treatment methods and this benefit is translated into better standards of patient care. As in the majority of countries, the renewal of medical licences of physicians, nurses and technicians in the UAE will now be dependant on the completion of a minimum number of hours. We are confident that this initiative will benefit the medical community and general public."

UAE wins in tourism competitiveness

By Dr Jasim Ali

The UAE has beaten countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the broader Middle East and North Africa region in the worldwide tourism index, in which it clinched the 18th spot. Known as the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), the report ranks 124 countries on the basis of 13 variables. The rankings are an integral part of the first ever Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Other GCC countries in the report could not make it to the top. Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait occupied 36th, 47th and 67th spots, respectively. For the purpose of TTCI, WEF looked into 13 factor, or pillars, namely: policy rules and regulations; environmental regulation; safety and security; health and hygiene; prioritisation of travel and tourism; air transport infrastructure; ground transport infrastructure; tourism infrastructure; information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure; price competitiveness; human capital; national tourism perception; and natural and cultural resources. Switzerland topped the TTCI list followed by Austria, Germany, Iceland and the US. Still, Hong Kong emerged as the best tourist destination in Asia, having ranked No 6 worldwide. Singapore ranked No 8. The UAE's ranking put it ahead of some famous destinations, including Cyprus (20), Malta (26) and Malaysia (31) to name a few. The UAE scored 5.09 points on a scale ranging from 1 to 7 points. Switzerland scored 5.66 points, the highest achieved by any country ranked in the report. According to the report, the UAE achieved its best result (6.8 points) with respect to workforce wellness, in turn part of the human capital variable. This translates into availability of trained staff willing to provide services to tourists and visitors. Likewise, the country scored relatively high (6.5 points) on the national tourism perception. This suggests that people living and working in the UAE do appreciate the significance of the tourism sector. To be sure, the travel and tourism (T&T) sector is highly regarded in the UAE, and for good reasons. The report 2007 estimates that the sector accounted for a hefty 12.1 per cent of the UAE's gross domestic product in 2006. Still, the sector is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 5.2 per cent between 2007 and 2016. In addition, the T&T sector boasts 11.7 per cent of total employment in the UAE, or 294,000 jobs. Also, job opportunities are expected to grow at an annual rate of 2.5 per cent in the period 2007 to 2016. On the other hand, the UAE scored a measly 3.5 points in the ICT department. It is believed that the deficiency is because of an absence of competition within the telecommunications sector, which results in limited choices for customers. Also, the country notched another low score of 3.9 points when it came to natural and cultural resources. Altogether, the UAE lags behind in the sub-index of human, cultural and natural resources section. It ranked 24th worldwide among 124 countries in the report. However, this shortcoming is partly being addressed via the Dubai Strategic Plan (DSP) for the period 2007 to 2015. The DSP embraces cultural activities, notably local culture. In particular, Emirates airline is assisting in putting Dubai, and in turn the UAE, on the world tourism map through its ever expanding network. The international tourist receipt amounted to $2.2 billion in the UAE in 2005. Certainly, it pays to entice people.