A prominent Emirati presence in Economy Middle East’s list of healthcare leaders in the Middle East 2026

The “List of 30 Healthcare Leaders to Follow in 2026” issued by the Economy Middle East platform included (Economy Middle East) A large list of healthcare leaders in the Emirates, as this strong presence reflects the qualitative shift taking place in the health sector in the Emirates, and the shift towards care models based on artificial intelligence, personalized medicine, and academic innovation.

The most prominent Emirati leaders on the list:

• Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Community Protection
• Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Head of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi
• Dr. Alawi Al Sheikh Ali, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority
• Dr. Amer Ahmed Sharif, Executive Director of Dubai Health
• Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Sarkal, Director General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation
• Dr. Rashid Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre
• Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, CEO of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
• Omran Al-Khouri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Response Plus Holding Company

The list also includes officials of international and regional companies who base their operations in the UAE:

• Iskra Rik, Executive Vice President of International Affairs at AstraZeneca
• Hein van Eck, CEO of Mediclinic Middle East
• Georges-Pascal Haber, CEO, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
• Nicole Sirotin, CEO of the Healthy Living Institute in Abu Dhabi
• Akram Sami Dhaini, Vice President and Regional Director, Oracle Health
• Osama Al-Hajj, General Manager and Head of Human Pharmaceuticals for the Near East and UAE Region at Boehringer Ingelheim.
• Alisha Moopen, Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare Group
• Dimitris Molavasilis, Group CEO M42 (Based in Abu Dhabi).
• Elie Shallow, President and CEO of Global Markets at… GE HealthCare.
• Rodrigo Boga, President of the Middle East, Russia and Africa Region at Pfizer
• Shanila Lygo, CEO of Medcare Group of Hospitals and Medical Centres.
• Sherif Bishara, CEO of American Hospital Dubai.
• Shaista Asif, CEO of Pure Health Group.
• Vivek Kanade, General Manager, Middle East and Africa, Siemens Healthineers
• Vincenzo Ventricelli, CEO of Philips Middle East, Turkey and Africa.
• Zenobia Shams, Co-Chairman of Zulekha Healthcare Group.
• Zaid Al Khayyat, General Manager of Al Khayyat Investments Company.

Factors of UAE leadership in 2026

According to the report, the superiority of Emirati leaders in this list is due to several strategic pillars:

Digital transformation and artificial intelligence: Leaders embrace advanced technologies such as the UAE Genome Project and link it to electronic health records to provide personalized care.

Strategic partnerships: close cooperation between the government and private sectors and with international academic institutions.

Sustainability and Governance: Integrating Sustainability Standards (ESG) at the core of health operations, and reducing the carbon footprint of medical facilities.

Medical education: Focus on building qualified national cadres through leading academic institutions such as the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The UAE competencies topping this list for the year 2026 confirms that the UAE has become a “source” of innovation and health policies that put people at the heart of the development process.