Dubai’s soaring healthcare market and the demand for space

As the emirate’s health sector takes on the world, medical companies are realising that finding the right commercial property requires on-the-ground expertise.

In the past few years, Dubai’s healthcare sector has experienced a massive expansion with many of the world’s largest hospitals and specialised centres investing in the emirate.  

This has been given a boost by the government’s commitment to making Dubai the place to be for top-notch care, in line with Dubai Master Plan 2040 – whether you’re a resident or one of the rising numbers of ‘medical tourists.’

Dubai saw huge growth in medical tourism in 2022 with 674,000 travellers spending Dh992 million in the year, an increase of a whopping Dh262 million from 2021. This has meant Dubai has had to face the challenge of catering to an increasingly wide range of healthcare needs.  

The medical sector has responded by embracing cutting edge technologies and innovation, while continuing to develop state-of-the-art facilities like Dubai Healthcare City.

But with all this market activity, there’s been an overwhelming demand for suitable facilities, which Dubai is just about managing to meet.  

According to June stats from the Dubai Healthcare Authority (DHA), the emirate currently has 52 hospitals, 77 specialised clinics, 58 one-day surgery centres, 82 dental clinics, 122 clinics, 1,325 pharmacies, 414 optics centres, 160 nursing homes and 57 alternative medicine centres – and these numbers keep growing.

In Q1 of 2023, Dubai licensed a total of 143 health facilities, bringing the total number of health facilities to 4,609 – an increase of 11.5% compared to Q1 last year.

This boom shows the confidence of global investors in the growth prospects and high standards of the emirate’s healthcare sector.  

But as with all international commercial real estate markets, Dubai has its intricacies and unique bureaucracy; that’s why healthcare companies looking to enter the market – or expand on their existing offering – are turning to seasoned Property Consultants to navigate the complexities of finding optimal facilities.  

These experts have a deep understanding of local regulations, zoning laws, and market trends, ensuring healthcare businesses acquire strategically located spaces that match their operational needs.  

But finding the right real estate company as a partner is essential.

“While healthcare organisations have a fantastic opportunity to thrive in Dubai’s buzzing medical market, there’s a lot of inside knowledge needed when it comes to acquiring facilities,” explained Robin Jose, Head of Commercial, haus & haus.

“Our commercial experts have a deep understanding of local regulations, zoning laws, and market trends, ensuring healthcare clients acquire strategically located spaces that match their operational needs. We work with these companies very much as a partner to ensure the whole process is not only smooth but optimal.”