Healthcare Leaders Summit – 5th Edition, 22-23 September 2026
5th Edition · Abu Dhabi
- Date
- 22-23 September 2026
- Venue
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
- Format
- In person event
- Doors
- Registration and networking from 09:00
Overview
Overview
- Date
- 22-23 September 2026
- Venue
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
- Format
- In person event
- Doors
- Registration and networking from 09:00
The 5th Edition of the Forbes Middle East Healthcare Leaders Summit in Abu Dhabi will bring together policymakers, healthcare executives, and scientific pioneers to explore the future of care delivery. Centered on the theme “Defining Global Standards in Healthcare Excellence”, this influential forum in Abu Dhabi will address critical healthcare priorities—from the rising challenge of non-communicable diseases to the transformative potential of precision medicine, AI, and next-generation health technologies. The summit will champion collaborations and innovations driving healthier, more resilient societies.
Stay tuned for more updates.
On stage
Speakers
Doctors Circle
Doctors Circle
Agenda · 22-23 September 2026
Healthcare Leaders Summit
Break
National Anthem & Opening Ceremony
Opening Keynote Address
H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al NahyanMinister of Tolerance and Coexistence, UAE
Group Photo
Opening Remarks
Shaista AsifGroup CEO, PureHealth
Audience Q&A with Stephen White, Senior Conference Manager
Excellence by Design - Enabling Innovation, Inspiring Trust
Forward-thinking insights into how the UAE's evolving regulatory frameworks are enabling innovation while strengthening safety, accountability, and public confidence.
H.E. Dr Amin Hussain Al AmeeriAssistant Undersecretary of Health Regulation Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention, UAE
Theme 1 · Catalysing Progress – Advancing Healthcare Excellence
Policy, Leadership and UAE's National Ambition - Building the World's Most Advanced Health Ecosystem (Arabic Session)
A leadership dialogue highlighting how progressive policy and nationally coordinated initiatives are enabling the UAE to build one of the world's most advanced healthcare ecosystems.
H.E. Dr Rashed Alsuwaidi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre
Budour MousaModeratorPresenter, Forbes Middle East
Charting the Next Era of Medicine – Access, Innovation and Industry Evolution
A strategic discussion on how pharmaceutical innovation, evolving industry capabilities, and new approaches to access and delivery are accelerating medicine adoption while strengthening the UAE's position as a regional life sciences hub.
Uwe DalichowHead of Region EMA and Country Division Head MENA, Pharmaceuticals Division, Bayer
Dr. Khaled Abdelhameed HarbCEO, Dar Al Dawa Development & Investment (Jordan)
Dr Fatima Zaid Abu ZanatModeratorRegional Director of Regulatory Affairs & Scientific Office - Middle East, Türkiye & Africa, Ipsen
Partnerships Powering Progress – Redefining Healthcare Through Global Collaboration
Leadership perspectives on how strategic partnerships, international collaboration, and knowledge exchange are expanding specialised care, accelerating innovation, and strengthening healthcare systems for the future.
Joseph HazelGroup CEO, Apex Health (Qatar)
Dr. Doaa MaroufCEO, AKI Pharma & BinSina Pharmacy
Dr. Madhu SasidharPresident & CEO - Hospitals Division, Apollo Hospitals (India)
Oussama ElbabaModeratorMHA, Chief Global Destinations Program Officer, University of Chicago Medicine (USA)
Theme 2 · Longevity and Precision Health – Redefining Care Beyond Treatment
The Future of Fertility: UAE's Rise as a Global Hub for Advanced Reproductive Health
Examine how Abu Dhabi is emerging as a global hub for advanced fertility care, shaped by progressive regulation, investment and innovation and how genomics, AI and precision medicine are redefining reproductive health and its role in lifelong health.
Dr Michael FakihExecutive Chairman, Founder & Medical Director, Blue Ocean Health – Fakih IVF Fertility Group
Engineering Longer, Healthier Lives – Decoding Longevity and Lifelong Wellbeing
Explore how longevity science, advanced health insights, and personalised interventions are enabling individuals to live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.
Dr. Hinda DaggagExecutive Director Longevity, PureHealth
Tayllit AherdanVice President & General Manager, Gulf Countries, Lilly Gulf
Peter FedichevCo-Founder & CEO, Gero (Singapore)
Dr Louiza ChitourModeratorCo-founder, GutGuru & 10FT Ventures
Beyond the Hospital – Designing the Future of Patient Experience
Gain visionary insights into how hospitals are seamlessly combining innovation, hospitality, precision medicine, and human-centred care to improve outcomes and elevate every human interaction.
Dr. Marwan Al KaabiCEO, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
Dr. Mishal Al QasimiCEO, Capital Health, Specialized Rehabilitation Hospital, Health Shield Medical Center
Sally MousaModeratorSenior Presenter Forbes Middle East
Precision at the Core – Converging Genomics and Predictive Intelligence
Explore how genomics, molecular and digital biomarkers, integrated health data, and advanced diagnostics are converging to enable predictive intelligence, earlier risk detection, and more proactive care.
Albarah Elkhani, COO, M42
Moderator: Shahad Mahdi, Executive Director, PHRMAG
Dr. Habiba Al SafarDean College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University
Ahmad Wasef AlahmadCEO, Future Health GCC
Networking Break
Audience Q&A with Stephen White, Senior Conference Manager
Spotlight Address: Trust Me, I Saw It on Instagram - When Viral Health Myths Become Medical Decisions
How did we reach a point where people trust a 30-second social media video more than years of medical training? Why are patients questioning their doctors while believing influencers, myths, and conspiracy theories? This talk explores how algorithms shape our health decisions, why misinformation often travels faster than science, and how healthcare professionals can reclaim trust.
Dr Yazan Aljabery, Cardiac Surgery Consultant and Assistant Professor of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Theme 3 · Advancing Population Health – Improving Outcomes for Every Generation
Architecting Long -Term Health - Tackling Chronic and Non-Communicable Diseases
Explore how coordinated care models, multidisciplinary collaboration, and healthcare innovation are enabling more effective long-term management of chronic and non-communicable diseases.
Moderator: Dr Narges Sheikhansari, Executive Advisor & Public Health Expert
Majdi YounisGeneral Manager, MEA, Convatec Middle East
Dr. John CunninghamGeorge M. Eisenberg Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatricst, University of Chicago Medicine (USA)
Dr. Usamah MossallamVice President & Medical Director, Henry Ford Health International (USA)
Insurance in Modern Care Models - Enabling Access, Accountability, and Delivery
With insurance emerging as a key enabler of access, care navigation, and cross-border treatment, gain leadership perspectives on its evolving role in delivering greater value and patient-centred care.
Khaled Ateeq AldhaheriCEO, National Insurance Company - Daman
Samer SawayaUAE Country Head & BGMEA Regional COO, Bupa Global
Layan Abo ShkierModeratorEditor & Researcher, Forbes Middle East
The Prevention Imperative – Redefining Population Health Outcomes
Explore how shifting the focus towards prevention and earlier intervention can improve health outcomes, strengthen healthcare systems and create greater value across the health ecosystem
Pedro Matos RosaManaging Director, Johnson and Johnson Gulf
Huda AyasAssociate Dean for International Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University (USA)
Arda AratGeneral Manager, Gulf & Near East, Haleon
Jayda ShoukryModeratorContent Producer Forbes Middle East
End of Day 1
Agenda · 22-23 September 2026
Doctors Circle: Agenda
Panel 1: Robotic-Assisted Surgery: Why Smaller Incisions Are Leading to Better Outcomes
Discover how robotic surgical systems are allowing surgeons to operate with greater precision through smaller incisions, reducing complications, shortening hospital stays and changing what patients can expect from modern surgery.
Dr. Aysha Abdulla AlmentheriConsultant, Gynecology and Robotic Surgeon, Burjeel Medical City
Dr. Manish MadnaniSpecialist Gastrointestinal & Laparoscopic Surgeon; Head of Surgical Division, NMC Specialty Hospital and Clinics
Dr. Sherif AwadModeratorConsultant Laparoscopic, Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric & General Surgeon, UK Board Certified
Panel 2: AI in Medicine: How Machine Learning Is Helping Doctors Catch Diseases Earlier
Learn how AI-powered tools are analysing medical images, routine tests and patient data to detect a wide range of diseases earlier than ever, and explore what it means to responsibly integrate these tools into real clinical practice.
Dr. Yasmin GiambroneHead of Radiology and Consultant Interventional Breast Radiologist, Kings College Hospital London - Dubai
Dr. Mazin Rasool AljabiriConsultant Physician & Interventional Gastrointerologist, Mediclinic Parkview Hospital
Dr. Nigel BeejayModeratorConsultant Gastroenterologist, Emirates Hospital Jumeirah
Panel 3: Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD): The Silent Epidemic Reshaping Liver Medicine
Unpack the rise of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, now the most common liver condition worldwide, and understand how early detection, lifestyle intervention and new therapies are helping doctors protect the liver before damage becomes irreversible.
Dr. Saeed Hussein Al Marzooqi, Consultant, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, SSMC
Prof. Faisal AbaalkhailConsultant, Gastroenterologist and Transplant Hepatologist, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre- Dr. Mazin Rasool AljabiriModeratorConsultant Physician & Interventional Gastrointerologist, Mediclinic Parkview Hospital
Panel 4: Genetic Risk in the Gulf: What Our DNA Is Telling Us About Inherited Disease
Examine how the Gulf's unique genetic profile is increasing the risk of inherited conditions, and why genomic screening is becoming one of the most important preventive tools in the region.
Dr. Maryam AlshehhiConsultant Physician Medical Geneticist SKMC/SEHA, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Genomic Medicine at college of medicine, UAEU
Prof. Junaid Muhib KhanDirector C. Medical Education, Consultant Neonatologist, SSMC
Dr. Shamsa AlawarModeratorConsultant, Associate Prof. and Chair of OB/Gyn Department, UAE University
Panel 5: Her Health, Reimagined: Technology Across the Lifespan
Delve into the technologies reshaping women's health, from predictive analytics to virtual care and digital engagement, alongside the questions of bias, data governance and trust that decide who benefits.
Dr. Bohaira El GeyoushiConsultant Gynaecologist & Reproductive Medicine, American Hospital Dubai
Dr. Rahat GhazanfarClinical Director, Longevity & Lifestyle Medicine, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
Alia Abdel-RazeqModeratorCOO, CellSave Arabia
Panel 6: Anxiety and Depression in Physicians and Medical Students
Explore physician and medical student mental health, social media's influence on doctors, and whether the growing claims around peptide therapies are supported by evidence.
Dr. Adil SajwaniDeputy Medical Director and Consultant Physician, Mediclinic Parkview Hospital- Dr. Nigel BeejayConsultant Gastroenterologist, Emirates Hospital Jumeirah
Dianna ReidPsychodynamic Psychotherapist & Anthropologist and Founder, Working Through it Therapy
Next Generation Paediatric Surgery: Innovation, Precision, Artificial Intelligence Shaping the Future of Surgery in Children
Delve into how emerging technologies and surgical breakthroughs are transforming outcomes for children in the operating room.
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Suleman, Consultant & Chair, Paediatric Surgery, SSMC
- Prof. Junaid Muhib KhanModeratorDirector C. Medical Education, Consultant Neonatologist, SSMC
Panel 7: Mental Health as a Benchmark of Healthcare Excellence
Consider why the strength of a health system is increasingly measured by how well it cares for mental health, and what it takes to move psychological wellbeing from the margins of the service to a core indicator of clinical quality.
Dr. Hind Majid AlAli, General Secretary, Emirates Mental Health Society, Emirates Medical Association (EMA)
Moderator: Dr. Fatima Sayed Youssef, Vice President, Emirates Mental Health Society, Emirates Medical Association (EMA)
Dr. Hawraa SajwaniScientific Committee Chairperson, Emirates Mental Health Society, Emirates Medical Association (EMA)
Panel 8: Diagnosing Rare Diseases in Children: How Genomic Testing Is Reducing Years of Uncertainty
Examine why children with rare diseases often spend years without a diagnosis, and how rapid whole-genome sequencing is compressing this journey from years to days, along with the ethical responsibilities that come with finding answers faster. Panellists:
Dr. Tamer RizkConsultant Pediatric Neurologist, ACPN UAE
Dr. Vivek MundadaConsultant Paediatric Neurologist and Clinical Lead for Gene Therapies, Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres
Dr. Wafaa FaysalModeratorConsultant Pediatrics, Head of Pediatrics Department at Emirates Specialty Hospital DHCC
Moderators
Moderators
Getting there
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental,Abu Dhabi.
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental is an iconic luxury hotel that epitomizes Arabian grandeur and has often been described as a “palace rather than just a hotel”. the hotel’s aesthetic merges Islamic architectural elements such as harmonious geometry and rhythmic proportions—with modern construction techniques.
From previous editions