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."