Pure Health presents Forbes Middle East Healthcare Summit 2022 which will take place in St Regis Abu Dhabi from 13-14 December, bringing together Healthcare executives, thought leaders, and the intellect behind healthcare treatment and delivery to explore the fast-paced pace of innovation and the promising prospects for future breakthroughs.
Shaista Asif is the Group Chief Operating Officer at Pure Health, the largest integrated healthcare company in the UAE. Overseeing the Group’s diversified portfolio, including hospitals, clinics, laboratories, health insurance, healthcare procurement, and health tech solutions, Shaista is at the forefront in changing the way healthcare is delivered in the country. She has spearheaded the largest number of healthcare acquisitions in the UAE over the last three years, making Pure Health the fastest-growing healthcare company in the region. With a strong track record in delivering transformational change, Shaista has led Pure Health’s consolidation, spearheading the execution of the Group’s strategy, quality distinction, growth, and development in the healthcare segment in the UAE since 2010. With over 17 years in senior leadership positions in the healthcare and technology domain, Shaista brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning and is recognised for her in-depth analytical ability to facilitate operational and procedural planning to focus on the Group’s growth and optimisation. Moving from sick care to preventive care, Shaista’s North Star is Longevity. Pure Health is working towards creating the ‘Healthcare in the Cloud’ as its enabler, where the company is focused on embracing the 4th Industrial Revolution. Shaista believes in Technological Singularity, and how the increase in compute power is bringing it closer. Pure Health is working towards creating a healthcare ecosystem where people don’t fall sick, but instead live healthier and fuller lives, for longer!
Ayman Mokhtar is Viatris Regional President for the Middle East, Turkey & Levant Region. Viatris is the global healthcare company formed in November 2020 through the combination of Mylan and Upjohn, a legacy division of Pfizer. Viatris empowers people to live healthier at every stage of life. Viatris portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases. With more than twenty years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Ayman is an executive with a broad international experience having held strategic positions within multinational companies and lead regional operations covering the Middle East and Africa. His most recent roles have been Regional Strategy Lead for Africa and the Middle East at Pfizer and General Manager GCC Countries for Upjohn a division of Pfizer. Ayman has a passion for improving patient access to medications through innovative approaches, connecting stakeholders on common goals and driving meaningful partnerships. In his active external engagement as board member of several trade associations in the Middle East Region, he strongly advocates for the importance of collective efforts to optimize healthcare services and healthcare delivery in the Region. Ayman has been able to forge several public private partnerships in research, awareness, patient access across the region, notably in the UAE.
Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi is the Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program (AD-BMT©) at Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC), and Vice-Chair of UAE National MS Society Board of Trustees. She obtained her MPH in 2001 from Bloomberg School of Public Health, John Hopkins University; MSc in Cancer in 2012 from the University College of London; and did her fellowship in hematology in the Royal Free Hospital, in the United Kingdom. Dr. Al Kaabi has held multiple senior positions in the past including the Head of Adult Hematology/Oncology and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC).
Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi is the Chief Executive Officer of Ambulatory Healthcare Services, the largest network of healthcare centers in the UAE. She is also the Chief Executive Officer of Yas Clinics Group and an Official Spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector. As CEO of AHS, Dr. Noura oversees the provision of healthcare services to the community of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi through 55 multi-specialty, widely distributed healthcare centers providing curative and preventive services, visa screening centers, state-of-the-art mobile clinic solutions, school health services in more than 200 public school clinics, and various special projects. AHS was at the forefront of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and established the award-winning drive-through centers, oversaw the national screening program, designed and operated the COVID-19 Prime Assessment Centers, and rolled out the COVID-19 vaccination program, all while providing the community with the healthcare services it needs. Dr. Noura is a firm believer in leveraging technology to enhance patient care and provide easier access to healthcare services. Under her leadership, AHS implemented a number of new technologies, including artificial intelligence in retinal Ai screening thus reducing the turnaround time for eye scan results for diabetic patients from 3 days to 3 seconds. In line with Pure Health’s mission to advance the science of longevity so that people live longer, healthier, happier and fuller lives, Dr. Noura has established strategic partnerships with the government and private sector to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure advance the healthcare services provided to the community.
A recognised leader within the healthcare field known for crafting the requisite strategic vision to achieve business goals, global team-building and development. David Hadley is the Chief Executive Officer for Mediclinic Middle East, which is owned by Mediclinic International, one of the world’s leading private hospital groups. David has worked for Mediclinic Internationalsince 1993, and has enjoyed many positions throughout the company which enabled him to successfully command positions in Human Resources, Finance, Operations and Hospital Management. Mediclinic seconded David to Dubai in 2007 to complete the Mediclinic City Hospital Project and to head up the opening of the company’s first "off shore" facility, which opened in 2008 in Dubai Healthcare City. Since his appointment as the CEO of Mediclinic Middle East in 2009, the group has grown to become the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE with 7 Hospitals and 20+ clinics. They have also recently launched their first growth project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In addition to his executive role at Mediclinic, David also serves as a Non-Executive Director at Magrabi Hospitals Group and as a Non-Executive Director on the UAE Advisory Board. David completed his commerce undergraduate education in South Africa (B-Comm), dividing his time between work and school, and holds a Masters in Business Administration with distinction from the University of Liverpool. David also attended the prestigious Oxford Advanced Management and Leadership programme in June 2022.
Seasoned healthcare leader with over 16 years’ experience in business operations, currently serving as Group Chief of critical infrastructure and response at Purehealth, the UAE’s largest healthcare network. Strong track record in executing successful plans in biosecurity, emergency preparedness, business resilience, radiological and nuclear emergency, managing organizational response to major disasters and pandemic and leading multi-dimensional campaigns, operational functions and large teams to ensure a consistent and cohesive approach to wide scale organizational and departmental operations. Throughout his career, he strives to continually elevate knowledge within the medical field, utilize scientific advancement and technologies to improve quality and operational efficiency. He continues to lead the UAE Biosecurity Scientific Advisory Committee, and have also served as a UAE Army Officer in the Armed Forces.
Dr. Farida is a leader in Health Strategic planning and Public Health Excellence in Abu Dhabi. She is a professional expert in public health, infectious diseases epidemiology as well as emergency preparedness and has done active work in this field. Dr. Farida holds a DrPH and MPH degree from in John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Master’s in Security and Strategic studies from NDC. She gained Diploma in Public Sector Innovation from Cambridge and Mohamed Bin Rashid school of innovation. She Dr. Farida has worked and participated in forming the policies and standards related to infectious diseases and public health in Abu Dhabi and United Arab Emirates. She led the development of electronic surveillance systems for infectious diseases and established the Communicable Diseases Bulletin a quarterly summary of infectious diseases in Abu Dhabi emirate and leads the editorial board as well as the scientific board of the bulletin. In addition, Dr. Farida led research for MERS-CoV and TB in UAE and has several publications in scientific journals
Dr. Jorge Guzman is the chief executive officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a Mubadala Health partner. Dr. Guzman oversees Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s strategy and operations of 5,300 caregivers and continues to serve as a consultant and Staff physician in the hospital’s Critical Care Institute. Previously serving as the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Guzman led a team of over 420 physicians, spearheading ground-breaking procedures and programs. His vision led to significant growth in medical operations, including the expansion of many service lines such as multiple solid organ transplant, complex neurology and cardiac services, and the growth in the cancer programs, amongst others. Dr. Guzman is a long-standing healthcare steward with 15+ years at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Guzman was Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s vice president of Regional Hospital Medical Operations. Committed to innovation, he oversaw the development of the ICU telemedicine program (eHospital) at Cleveland Clinic and holds two patents registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, he completed a healthcare MBA at Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio.
Dr. Ibtesam Al Bastaki, Director of investment and partnership at DHA, is responsible for the development of various public-private partnership projects and driving healthcare investment into projects in Dubai. . In addition to her main role and with 22 years of experience in healthcare she leads, advices and guides on the best practices to ensure a proper holistic expansion in health care industries within UAE. She has a wealth of experience and expertise having worked in both private and public sector entities such as the Prime Minister Office, VPS health care, MOH and DHA. Dr. Al Bastaki graduated as a medical physician from RCSI and gained her Arab Board in Family Medicine. She then received a Master’s degree in Health Care Management from RCSI. Moreover, she is a MBR Leadership Program graduate. Her additional roles include being the scientific chair for International Family Medicine (IFM) since 2014.
Sadia Khuram is the Chief Strategy Officer of the Pure Health Group. Sadia is responsible for the development and implementation of Pure Health’s corporate strategy, business development, and partnerships. As the Chief Strategy Officer, Sadia also drives the Research & Innovation and Products vertical for the Group. Before joining Pure Health, Sadia has worked extensively in senior management and board positions in the telecom, mobility and energy sectors. Sadia is passionate about helping businesses and organizations, especially in the healthcare sector, leverage the opportunities presented by technology to create, capture and deliver value for the patients & society in a digital economy. She actively engages with the academic and start up communities to get inspired and to support in building the next generation of disruptors, innovators and leaders. Sadia Khuram is a Sloan Fellow and has an MBA in Innovation and Global Leadership from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She has won numerous awards and accolades in her academic and professional career.
Omar is the director of the Executive Affairs and Special projects Office projects reporting to Chairman of AD DoH and Abu Dhabi Public Health Center. He is one of the main leaders shaping the landscape of healthcare in the emirate of Abu Dhabi to achieve its full potential and aspirational goal. One of his key roles, is being a member of a core “AD Healthcare Gold Command Team” for Covid-19 and part of the team leading on transforming healthcare in Abu Dhabi. Part of his team and wider ecosystem work has contributed to Abu Dhabi being number 1 safest city globally at times of Covid19 (DKG) and UAE being number one most resilient country (Bloomberg). Omar was responsible for leading the establishment of the Hope Consortium in day zero, contributing to handling over 260 million covid19 doses to over 60 country in one year. Part of his work at the department of health, is currently on leading the attracting investment and building a thriving healthcare economic growth. In addition he led on many initiatives related to introducing transformative change around quality, finance, digital and access in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and UAE. Examples of which, early sourcing of innovative medication and vaccination internationally, driving the life science strategy and driving the full potential of healthcare as an economic growth engine in the Emirate. Omar trained as a Head and Neck surgeon in the UK. Immediately prior to joining AD DoH, Omar was a hospitals improvement lead at Mckinsey and Company in London Healthcare and Operation practice Omar is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh; Holds a Masters in surgical technology and healthcare innovation from Imperial College London and did a one-year leadership and quality fellowship at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. He holds several international committee scientific membership and has published and presented in the field of medicine, healthcare operation, quality, innovation and workforce planning. He lives in Abu Dhabi
Ashish Koshy is the Chief Executive Officer of G42 Healthcare – a leading health-tech company on a mission to develop a world-class healthcare sector in the UAE & beyond. Entrepreneurial and solutions-driven, Ashish Koshy is a business leader who specializes in converting difficult problems into strong business propositions. A global leader in transformation and innovation, Ashish has extensive experience across industries – ranging from banking to telecom and healthcare, driving Big Data and AI strategies across multiple large international corporations. As the CEO of G42 Healthcare, Ashish has envisioned a holistic ecosystem of AI-powered solutions for current and future challenges and built on public-private-partnerships and collaborated with government and private entities, as well as pharmaceutical companies, tech entities and, academic institutions in the UAE and beyond to develop solutions that futureproof the health of nations. Under Ashish’s leadership, G42 Healthcare has built the largest national biorepository as part of the company’s therapeutic pillar, widened its Research & Development plans, encompassing genomics, imaging and diagnostics, and digitization programs to support the health of future generations. Ashish leads a multifaceted, growing organization with disruptive next-generation solutions in diagnostics, digital health, therapeutics, and advanced Omics. He has been directing multi-stakeholder large-scale national programs, including the Emirati Genome Program and is keen to move into long-term implications of Omics for food security and agriculture, advancing research on genomics and proteomics, and promoting sustainable agriculture, and forensics work. Prior to joining G42, Ashish has held roles as Deputy General Manager – Technology Development & Innovation at Reliance Jio and Technology Planning at Ooredoo. Ashish has completed his post-graduation in Computer Networks from Middlesex University and has an MBA in Engineering Business Management from Alliance Manchester Business School.
Sophie is the Founder and CEO of Nabta Health, a hybrid healthcare platform for women enabling the accelerated detection, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases in women in emerging markets. Prior to founding Nabta, Sophie worked as a technology consultant for Accenture, and then launched a number of impact startups, including myZindagi (a doctor-finding platform in Pakistan) and Le Plastics (a waste-plastics-to-roads company in Sierra Leone). Earlier this year, Sophie founded the 2022 Female Angels movement to bring gender parity to the early-stage investment landscape by identifying and publicly listing 2,022 female angel investors for MENA by the end of 2022. Sophie’s lifetime ambition is to empower all women to effectively manage their health. Sophie read History at the University of Cambridge and completed an MBA with Quantic School of Business and Technology.
A natural visionary Leader with unique Coaching and Transformational abilities with a phenomenal track record of challenging businesses turnaround. Having been in Pharma for more than 34 years, heading a mix of senior Commercial and General Management Leading roles over the last 25 years, the last 14 years, in particular, were strong career highlights. Between 2009 and 2018, filled the senior Executive Roles as a Regional President leading Pfizer's various business segments, Consumer Health, Nutrition, and Pharmaceuticals, and leading businesses ranging from $400M - $B 1.3 in regions like Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Currently the CEO of Jamjoom Pharma, one of the leading regional players in the Middle East.
Dr. Mohammed Amin is a serial entrepreneur who dedicated his journey towards developing innovative healthcare delivery models that focus on enhancing the quality of life and lifting the disease burden with clear impact on health, socioeconomic, financial, and sustainability outcomes. On his path Dr. Amin founded 35+ ventures and initiatives in the horizon of healthcare delivery innovation and life sciences. He is currently Co-Founder & CEO at Elaj Group & Tawasol Holding, as well as Co-Founder & Executive MD at Alborg Diagnostics. Elaj today is one of the leading healthcare providers in MENA providing care through 150+ medical centers, labs, and hospitals in 10 countries. Since its foundation, Dr. Amin has established it as a network dedicated to an integrated healthcare delivery model that is aimed at improving clinical outcomes and enhancing the overall patient experience. Tawasol is mainly focused on investing in and operating healthcare providers in Africa having recently acquired ANMC, the biggest hospital in Egypt. Dr. Amin founded Al-Borg Diagnostics in 2000, establishing the largest chain of labs in MENA. Dr. Amin graduated from the Cairo University with an M.B.B.CH in 1984. He went on to complete his Masters M.Sc. E.N.T. in 1996 and has been granted the PhD (Hon) degree in Economics and Business Management from Oxford University.
Ahmed Al Bastaki is Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Rafed. A revered leader in the field of supply chain management, Ahmed has developed a wealth of knowledge and experience working on ambitious projects in the field of healthcare and project management. With 30 years of experience, Ahmed has been responsible for the delivery of many projects locally within the United Arab Emirates and internationally for both the government and private sectors. His current role in Rafed requires expert knowledge in leading client engagements, developing trusted client relationships, creating high-impact strategic objectives, and maintaining long-term profitability. His prior experience working with SEHA provided him with considerable knowledge and ability in healthcare management, supply chain management, contracts management, planning, and monitoring projects, performing due diligence, setting strategies, and operational optimization. His academic record provides the foundation for Ahmad’s professional development. Ahmad currently holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (International Business) and is completing a postgraduate MBA (General Business Administration).
Eng. Thamer AlMuhid is a motivational leader, with 30 years of international experience. He held a Bsc in civil engineering from King Saud University Riyadh and two MBAs in Mergers and Acquisition from tuwien Austria and Global Management from Thunderbird School of Management AZ, USA. Eng. Thamer worked in service, inspection and consultations, manufacturing, government, FMCG, and military industries, as well as pharma in Saudi and abroad in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Eng. Thamer currently is the Group CEO of Saudi Chemical Company Holding which owns and operates five companies in KSA and Egypt. He is also a board member in a couple of traded, family owned, and non-profitable companies/entities. Thamer’s aim is to spread prosperity and develop leaders.
Mohit is the Founder and CEO of Ultrahuman. Ultrahuman is the world's largest metabolic health platform. Popularly known for its wearable technology Ultrahuman M1, the platform is a market leader in the metabolic health space via its unique real-time data based approach. The platform is available across India and the UAE and is currently on the way to expand to the US market sometime next year. Ultrahuman has raised a total of $25 mn from reputed institutional investors like Steadview, ADQ via Alpha wave and Nexus Venture partners. Mohit is a serial entrepreneur and has previously built a food commerce business that merged with Zomato in 2017. Via the Zomato merger, he ended up building one of the largest food commerce businesses in the world that went public at $16bn+ IPO valuation.
Dr. Yendry Ventura oversees Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center operations as its Chief Executive Officer. ADSCC is the first fully integrated medical and research center focused on attaining the most leading and ambitious scopes in the fields of cell therapy in the UAE. A skilled scientific researcher in preforming, conducting, and analyzing in vivo and in vitro assays, as well as preclinical studies related to cell biology, immunology, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Yendry has developed new innovative methodology for harvesting stem cells through peripheral blood, this methodology was used in a clinical trial of COVID-19 patients and is known as UAECell-19 with Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center as its sole owner. He is also the executive director of the first bone marrow transplantation program in the UAE, known as AD-BMT. AD-BMT has intellectual property and is a comprehensive program designed to treat every patient in the UAE that may be eligible for the treatment. Dr Yendry Ventura implemented the very first CAR-T cells and Extracorporeal Photopheresis program. He is the Chairman of the Pharmacogenomics Flagship Program of Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center and the Principal Investigator of the randomized controlled clinical trials for Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and others. Dr. Yendry holds a Doctorate in Medicine in Immunology from the University of Havana- Cuba. He brings a wealth of leadership and clinical expertise, including performance in clinical sciences, managing clinical research and leading clinical trials. He has extensive knowledge in stem cell harvesting and isolation, using these techniques in the implementation of therapeutic and productive apheresis methods used in hematopoietic stem cells transplantations, as well as obtaining autologous stem cells for regenerative medicine. Dr. Yendry’s primary field of interest is in preclinical and clinical research such as clinical trials and compassionate protocols.
Mona is a Partner at McKinsey & company and a leader in the firm’s Public & Social Sector Practice where she advises public-sector clients on development, employment, social policies, and macroeconomic policies. She is committed to creating lasting economic growth through frameworks of strategic sustainable development. Prior to joining McKinsey, she served as senior director at the office of strategic affairs in the Crown Prince Court Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Before that, Mona worked in the public sector at Booz & Company, and as an economist with the International Monetary Fund and the ESCWA. She has authored and coauthored three books and several papers, including a paper on the determinants of public-private partnerships. Mona is a recipient of both the Princess Banderi Al-Faisal Public Service Fellowship and the Sheikh Abdulaziz A. Al-Tuwaijri International Public Service Fellowship. She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a board member of Uniting to Combat NTDs, a coalition dedicated to fighting lesser-known tropical diseases
With a track record of successful delivery of largescale projects, Dr Fatih is responsible for leading one of the largest private hospitals in the emirate. He spearheaded the development of Fakeeh University Hospital in 2017, implementing market strategies to deliver on the hospital’s mission to provide medical excellence and champion outstanding research within the UAE. Dr. Gül has recently been listed as on one of the Forbes top 50 healthcare leaders in the MENA region. A graduate of the prestigious Harvard Business School and Cornell University in the US, he is a seasoned physician by training. During his vast career spanning over two decades, he has gained international experience through various assignments across Europe, Middle East and North Africa, making him well-versed in both, regional and western cultures. He has combined his long-standing knowledge of the regional healthcare landscape, with his distinct leadership skills and clinical background to bring to life, multiple projects across health systems, hospitals, academic medical centers, and medical groups. Dr. Gül is seen as a trusted adviser across the healthcare sector. His core competencies span the development of largescale projects, occupational health, clinical operation development, medical recruitment, international medical services like medical tourism, assistance, evacuation, repatriation, and remote medical services. Committed to a future that is more sustainable, Dr. Fatih’s core mission for Fakeeh University Hospital in making it the first private hospital in the UAE to join Terra Carta, the global business proposition launched by His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales. Launched in January 2021, Terra Carta is a global proposition from the Sustainable Markets Initiative that provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards an ambitious and sustainable future; one that will harness the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation, and resources of the private sector.
Dr. Jaykumar Patel leads Boston Consulting Group’s Health Care in the Middle East and also a core member of the Public Sector practice area. He has led numerous strategic projects and large-scale transformations across the region. Within healthcare, Jaykumar has led strategy planning at a health system level, payer and provider level, supporting world-class service delivery to citizens, through value based focused approach. He has also supported efforts in developing Life science presence within the region. Within public sector, Jaykumar has consulted with governments and established a cross-governmental multi-year transformation programs at the center of government, overseeing multiple sectors for socioeconomic development. Prior to joining BCG, Jaykumar practiced as a medical doctor with the NHS with a focus in surgical specialties. Areas of Expertise • Health system reform • Payer reform • Value based healthcare • Center of government • Economic development Education • MBBS, Medicine, Kings College London • BSC, Neuroscience, 1st Class honors, Kings College London Publications and Videos • https://www.bcg.com/publications/2022/building-patient-centrichealthcare-sector-middle-east • https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/building-resilient-governments • https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/how-artificial-intelligence-canshape-policy-making • https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/three-government-priorities-forrebuilding-post-covid • https://www.bcg.com/publications/2016/health-care-payers-providersleapfrogging-value-based-health-care-comes-to-emerging-markets
Passion, creativity, innovation and leadership are some of the words that define Dr Siddiqui and lend him the unique ability which distinguishes him from many others in the business. During his illustrious career spanning over four decades, he has successfully driven many high-profile projects and bagged various awards and accolades for his pioneering work in the healthcare domain. Starting his career as a management trainee, today he heads Arabian Healthcare Group, one of the leading healthcare groups of UAE, besides being Executive Director of the premium RAK Hospital. From choreographing the launch of Apollo Hospitals in India to establishing Belhoul Speciality Hospital and RAK Hospital in UAE and turning them into profitable ventures within a quick span, he has been instrumental in setting up several other multi-specialty hospitals with international collaborations, diagnostic laboratories, and also a medical college. His forte lies in promoting countries and institutions as medical tourism destinations and he has done commendable work within this domain by promoting UAE and bolstering RAK Hospital as the place of choice for medical tourists. In every organization that he has worked for, he has introduced fresh insight and ideas that not only position the business as a force to reckon with, but ensure that it continues to conquer more frontiers. Current positions: ● Board Member – RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, RAK Hospital and Arabian Healthcare Group ● Advisory Board Member – CEO Club International and Arab Health 2020 ● First Indian Board Member – RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry ● Founding Board Member – UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Recent Awards: ● FORBES TOP 50 Healthcare Leaders 2022 ● TOP 30 Most successful self-made men –PRODIGY GLOBAL NETWORK 2022 ● The Business Leader Of The Year - The Economic Times & The World HRD Congress 2021 ● Healthcare Personality of the Year - World Medical Council 2021 ● CEO of the Year - Golden Globe Tiger Awards 2021 ● International Business Achiever – CEO Forum Mumbai 2020 ● CEO of the Year – Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conclave - 2019 ● FORBES Top 30 Indian Executives in the Arab World 2018 – Rank 26 - 2019 ● World Medical Council Excellence Award – Hall of Fame – 2019 ● Most Influential CEO of the Year Award 2018 – CEO Clubs Network ● FORBES Top 50 Indian Executives in the Arab World 2018 – Rank 30 ● Token of Appreciation by HH Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi the Ruler of RAK and Member of Supreme Council for serving as The Member of The Board of Directors in the RAK Chamber of Commerce since 2013 onwards – 2018 ● Healthcare CEO of the Year – CEO Club International – 2017 ● Healthcare Excellence CEO of the year – India UAE Business Forum – 2017 ● Excellence in Healthcare – UAE India Economic Forum – 2017 ● Healthcare Business Mentor of the Year – Six Sigma Healthcare Award, Delhi India – 2017 ● Asia Health Award (2017) ● The Middle East HealthCare Leadership Award (2017)
Sara is the Healthcare and Life Sciences Lead at Roland Berger Middle East. She has over 15 years of experience in the GCC/Middle East and the US. Prior to joining RB, Sara was a Healthcare Partner at a Big 4 consulting firm based in the region. She advises regulators, providers and public payors on their reform agendas, especially in the areas of health financing and health system restructuring, that help her clients shift towards value-based regulatory, funding and delivery systems.
Dr. Sven-Olaf Vathje heads the Health & Life Sciences practice at Oliver Wyman in IMEA. Over his 20 years of strategy consulting experience, he has worked with clients across a broad range of industries in Europe, the US, and the Middle East. Sven-Olaf’s key areas of focus are health care, asset management, and insurance. His functional expertise ranges from strategy development and business model innovation to business transformation and implementation. Sven-Olaf was previously a Partner with The Boston Consulting Group, and he established BCG’s GCC offices in 2006. Sven-Olaf holds a PhD in economics from the University of Kiel and a Master’s Degree from the University of Tennessee. He is fluent in English and German.
Dr Erik Koornneef is a global healthcare executive with 25 years of international management experience in growing healthcare economies. He currently is currently the Director of Research and Innovation with Purehealth, the largest, integrated healthcare platform in the United Arab Emirates. Previously Erik has held multiple senior roles in the healthcare industry, including the Health and Information Quality Authority of Ireland, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, the Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange, the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Truven Health Analytics / IBM Watson Health. Erik holds a PhD in Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He also holds a M.Sc. In Health Services Management, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and M.Sc. in Educational Sciences from the Radboud University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands Erik has served as an expert advisor for a variety of international organisation such as the Council of Europe, European Partnership for Supervisory Organisations (EPSO) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
Saif Aljaibeji is Daman’s Chief Government Business Development Officer. He is responsible for maintaining and developing government business and relationships in the UAE and GCC region. Dr Aljaibeji brings more than 15 years of experience in health insurance and funding, and policy and government affairs. Prior to joining Daman, he worked with UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, AXA Gulf- Green Crescent and Dubai Health Authority. Saif is a physician and holds masters’ degrees in both Health and Business Administration
Since October 2020 – Gizem Akalin is the Vice President and General Manager for the Gulf at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. As Vice President and General Manager – Gulf, Gizem oversees a multi-million USD organization of over 250 employees working in the company’s Pharma and Vaccines divisions. Gizem is responsible for translating GSK’s strategic priorities into effective actions to achieve its goal to be one of the most innovative, best performing and trusted healthcare companies. She leads a strong, diverse team committed to the business growth and industry transformation in the Gulf, emphasizing patients first to provide them with access to promising, innovative medicines and vaccines. Gizem has joined GSK in 2015 and held various senior commercial roles for the Middle East, as well as for North Africa, Russia and the Common Independ States (CIS). Previously, Gizem served as the Vice President, Commercial Operations for the Emerging Markets and China, leading the development and implementation of the organization’s commercial activities across a wide region – inclusive of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Prior to joining GSK, Gizem held management positions at Boehringer Ingelheim and Merck. Gizem is a commercially driven senior leader with over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Throughout her international career, she has driven strategic business transformation and change, leading to increases in market share, profitability and growth. She contributed to the delivery of billion-dollar portfolios through regional commercial strategy building, as well as through the strategic executions of innovative and classic portfolios and products launches across the Emerging Markets and China. Gizem is a Doctor of Business Administration and holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Bosporus University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Middle East Technical University.
Dr Tarek Dufan, , Dr Tarek Dufan is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief of Radiation Oncology at American Hospital Dubai. He also serves as Medical Advisor to the Mohamed & Obaid Al Mulla Board of Directors, the holding Group of American Hospital Dubai. His other responsibilities include being a board member of the Monrol Board of Directors and Medical Practices Higher Committee of Dubai Health Authority. Dr Dufan’s leadership, extensive experience, and strategic vision are critical drivers of American Hospital Dubai’s excellence and reach. He was instrumental in restructuring Mohamed and Obaid Al Mulla Group’s healthcare division, forging new paths to set standards in performance and innovation. Previously, Dr Dufan was Chief of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology and Director of Radiation Oncology at American Hospital Dubai. He also held the position of General Manager, United Medical Supplies (Unimed), part of Mohamed and Obaid Al Mulla Group. His long and distinguished career includes being a Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist at Sanford Bismarck Health Center and CHI St. Alexius Health Center, North Dakota, USA. He was Medical Director at Bismarck Cancer Center for eight years and worked as a Cancer Liaison Physician. Dr Dufan has certification from the American Board and the Canadian Board in Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Andreas Hartmann is Principal at the Boston Consulting Group, passionate about health care, tech, digital, and value-based investments. He is experienced in corporate growth and investment strategies, value-based health care, and large-scale transformations, both on national/ government level and private sector across several international markets including Germany, the Nordics, US, UK and the Middle East. Lately, he worked on a national public health and health security strategy and the localization of bio manufacturing in the GCC. He holds both medical and business degrees, and practiced as a medical doctor in acute, intensive and palliative care at the university hospital in Heidelberg, Germany before joining BCG in 2016 and transferring to the Middle East in 2020.
Dr Hinda Daggag is a geneticist who joined SEHA team in April 2020 as the Corporate Head of Genetic Projects. Her core values reflect her passion and drive to build a sustainable genomics framework within SEHA which will eventually enable better patient care and facilitate genomic research and development. Furthermore, she advocates for and is involved in initiatives driving national actions for personalised medicine advancement. She also specialises in supporting public-health related genomic initiatives and establishing international networking opportunities. She received her PhD in Genetics in 2009 from Melbourne University, Australia and later on obtained a postgraduate certificate in genetic counselling from the UK.
Saif is the Deputy Group CIO for SEHA and a key member of the executive management team in SEHA IT. This group provides operational support, consulting and solutions that enhance the performance of the extended enterprise using technology to streamline business processes, reduce costs, improve end user satisfaction and accelerate time-to-market in the rapidly growing digital economy. Saif is responsible for a delivery team spanning across the SEHA Enterprise and its Business Entities in excess of 300+ resources. Although in a senior management role, Saif technical skills are still key to his success and he continues to have hands on approach where Technology is involved in order to stay current with new trends and to bring practical experience based on actual knowledge to his position. Saif is involved in all aspects of the growth of the IT Services and delivery teams across SEHA and has been involved in the creation of the current SEHA IT Strategy and is now helping implement the plans to make it a reality. Background Saif graduated from the Higher Colleges of Technology, majoring in Computer Networking and graduated with excellence. After that he joined Abu Dhabi Health Authority as a senior network engineer and communication specialist. Saif moved to SEHA and progressed through the organization in various roles at the same time increasing responsibilities and gaining exposure to different technologies. Roles included project management, head of section, Infrastructure Manager, Infrastructure & Technology Director to his current role. Experience that brings insight Saif is accomplished and deeply skilled in planning, infrastructure and technology management. He is an experienced management professional with a record of fast-track, performance-based progression and outstanding strategic planning and project management qualifications. He has proven analytical, problem solving, communication, negotiation and leadership abilities. Over the years he has attained excellent multicultural skills. Saif is bilingual and fluent in Arabic and English languages. He is strong in staff supervision and leadership, budgeting, contracts and procurement, process and system design and qualitative and quantitative analysis. Saif has been recognized for continuously demonstrating the ability in re-evaluating the SEHA IT approach as an organization, without losing focus on significant cost reduction and performance gains.
Prior to joining MBZUAI, Song was an associate professor of computational science and engineering and the associate director of Center for Machine Learning at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the USA. He spent several years at various institutes such as Georgia Institute of Technology, Google Research, Carnegie Mellon University and National ICT Australia. Song’s remarkable works won several best paper awards at the ACM Conference on Recommendation System (Recsys) in 2016, Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS) in 2016, IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS) in 2015, Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) in 2013, and International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) in 2010. Song is a chair of the 39th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2022).
Sacha is a Partner on Global Ventures' (GV) Investment Team, who has led investments in Valeo (GCC), Helium Health (GCC/Africa), Ilara Health (Kenya), TeamApt, and Max. Other transactions Sacha has led include Remedial Health (Nigeria), and Klasha (Nigeria). Sacha has over 9 years of investment experience across emerging including MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Asia. Prior to joining Global Ventures, Sacha was an Associate at Colony Capital (US REIT) in Mexico City, for the firm’s sector agnostic Pacific Alliance fund. Sacha has also worked as part of The Abraaj Group's Sub- Saharan Africa Investment Team, based in Kenya, for the generalist fund. Prior to this, Sacha interned at L Catterton in Singapore as part of the value acceleration team. Sacha is fluent in Spanish and Urdu, and holds a BA in History and Politics from the University of Warwick. She was named a Forbes 30 under 30 lister in 2022.
Dr. Sarper Tanli is a healthcare development and management veteran with vast experience in Middle East, specifically in GCC. He has extensive experience in healthcare planning, development, clinical operations, home health operations, digital health services and informatics. In the region, he worked for Harvard Medical International, Dubai Health Care City and Houston Methodist (Texas) Global Health Care Services was involved various healthcare development projects, including hospitals, wellness and outpatient centers, home health and elderly care centers, Integrated Health Exchange platform. He was Group Chief Executive Officer of Manzil Healthcare Services, a home health, chronic disease management, digital health service company. He is the CEO/Founder of Diginova Health Solutions which operates on market expansion and implementation of globally recognized digital health and remote monitoring solutions to GCC. He also serves as an external independent board member of various organizations. Other than his medical degree, he also holds masters and PhD degrees in healthcare management.
Dr. Aoun completed his medical education at the University of North Texas Health Science Center followed by an internal medicine residency and chief residency at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital Program in Baltimore, MD. He then performed his clinical fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He practiced as a clinical endocrinologist for seven years in Palm Beach, FL before relocating to UAE in 2018 to join the American Hospital Dubai. Dr. Aoun holds also a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in neuro-endocrinology. His academic and research experiences encompass multiple disciplines in endocrinology. He served for five years as an Affiliate Assistant Professor to the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine before relocating to Dubai. In his role as CGO, Dr. Aoun has been guiding and overseeing the implementation of clinical and operational standards while developing strategies to optimize patient experience. In the rapidly evolving healthcare field shaped by novel technological breakthroughs, Dr. Aoun is working closely with administrative leadership on establishing a governance model that continues to ensure patient safety, privacy, and compliance with ethical and regulatory standards.
Panco is a senior partner at McKinsey. He leads the firm’s Healthcare Systems & Services Practice in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and has. Panco brings 15+ years of experience; serving clients across the entire healthcare sector, with a focus on advising authorities, payers, and providers in emerging markets on strategic, organizational, and operational topics. Panco has supported the design and implementation of several health-system reforms, including the development of the overall reform strategies, introducing new health-system financing concepts, efficient capacity planning and resource allocation, holistic approaches to workforce planning, as well as solving governance-related issues. With healthcare providers, Panco’s focus is on large-scale transformation programs covering all aspects of operational and financial improvement across both clinical and nonclinical areas. Panco is a medical doctor with a PhD in molecular biology, Panco has published more than 20 scientific publications. Prior to joining McKinsey, he undertook a clinical residency in surgery at the University Hospital of Zurich, with a focus on abdominal surgery and transplantation. He also undertook three years of basic science research with a focus on liver immunology.
Ramia is a Senior Producer and Presenter at Forbes Middle East, as well as a Moderator with a long history of hosting a variety of public and private sector events. At Forbes, Ramia hosts the Daily Brief, an online twice daily show focusing on breaking business news. She also conducts interviews with international business and world leaders. From its launch in 2007 until 2021, Ramia led the Emirates News broadcast on Dubai One TV as the Presenter and News Bulletin Editor. Previous to her role at Emirates News, from 2002 to 2007, Ramia presented and produced the program Business Arabia, which aired internationally on CNBC. Ramia has interviewed several world leaders including General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, Mohammed Khatami, President of Iran, Gerhard Schroeder, Chancellor of Germany and Jimmy Carter, US President. She is a moderator at major events including the World Government Summit in Dubai, the Middle East Investment Forum, and the Forbes 30/50 Summit, to name a few. Ramia holds a MA in Global Diplomacy-International Relations from the University of London, SOAS, as well as a BA in Communications from the University of Winnipeg and an associate degree in Journalism from Red River College.
Dr. Milton Chen is the cofounder and CEO of VSee, the telehealth company expected to be listed on Nasdaq in Q1. VSee is the only video telehealth software good enough for the NASA International Space Station and Return to Moon Mission. VSee is used by TelaDoc, Optum, McKesson, Quest Diagnostics, etc. Dr. Chen is also the co-author of XMPP Video Standard (XMPP is used by Facebook and Google). Dr. Chen did his PhD at Stanford University on the design of video collaboration - the science of creating trust via video. Dr. Chen has deployed vsee for Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, the rock band Linkin Park, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and President Obama's Inauguration. Milton has traveled to over 50 countries on telemedicine volunteer work - including three times to Iraq and Syria.
Shaun carved out his early years as a retail leader with one of the UK best loved Brands, Marks & Spencer. Where he carved out a strong reputation in Retail Operations and Customer Care. In 2004 the healthcare ecosystem was moving fast and innovating new roles. Shaun Joined Boots UK and brought a focus for putting patients at the heart of the business and fast decisive decision making whilst delivering change management and leadership innovation across his teams Shaun joined AKI in the UAE in 2019, and since then has be central the re-invention of Bin Sina Pharmacy chain under AKI and has spent the last 12 months working with ADQ and PHG in building and launching the new pharmacy chain ‘The Life Corner’. Shaun is currently the CEO. He brings energy and experience and senior strategic leadership into organisations enabling them to innovate, modernize and move quickly to be a head of the competition
Jad joined BCG in 2021. He is a member of the Healthcare practice. Jad’s experience includes a wide range of fucntional topic areas serving both public and private players in the healthcare market. Example of projects he worked on include advising system regulators on reforms and supporting private players in defining their investment and growth strategies in healthcare. Before joining BCG, Jad worked in consulting across the Middle East and Europe as a project leader for several years. Jad holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, New York, an MSc in Financial Engineering from Imperial College, London and a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut. In his leisure time, Jad enjoys playing tennis, skiing, motorsports and travelling with his family.
Khaldoon is the co-founder and CEO of Alma Health, a digital healthcare provider dedicated to transforming the lives of people with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Khaldoon earned his degree in software engineering from Carleton University in Canada and later an MBA from the University of Cambridge. His work experience includes top global and regional names in technology, where he has held both engineering and strategy positions. Prior to founding Alma Health, Khaldoon served as the Head of Strategy and Business Performance at Careem, the Middle East’s first unicorn. Points to be Highlighted in the Discussion - Alma Health is not a marketplace or aggregator, Alma Health is a licensed virtual healthcare provider with its dedicated physicians and healthcare staff. - Given our unique model, partnerships with healthcare insurance companies (for direct billing) and healthcare regulators are essential. - Our partnerships delivered rapid growth for Alma Health. The number of users we served more than 11x’d in less than a year.
Dr. Sara Al Madani is an Emirati Multi Award-Winning Serial Entrepreneur, Honored Public Speaker, and former Board Member, selected by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, for the UAE SME Council, under the patronage of the Dubai Ministry of Economy, as well as the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Sara started her very first business venture at fifteen years old and became a successful Entrepreneur, receiving an Honorary PHD in Leadership and Women Empowerment for inspiring women all over the world to become business owners. Strong from her outstanding Public Speaking skills, Sara has delivered over 250 keynote speeches for GCC-based and international corporate and educational organisations, while being an active member of the community, encouraging the younger generation to thrive in their academic and business careers. As a global Influencer, Sara has collaborated with major brands such as L'Oréal, Apple, Cartier, Bentley, Dubai Tourism, Samsung, Braun, just to name a few, while dedicating time to charities work as the UAE Global Good-will Ambassador for “Smile Train” as well as for the “United Nations”.
Sally is an international speaker and presenter who has interviewed many of the world’s most influential change-makers across every field. From Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal to Nobel Laureates Orhan Pamuk and Kailash Satyarthi and Oscar-nominated film director Nadine Labaki, Olympic-medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad to superstars Jay Shetty, Lilly Singh and Dr Jane Goodall amongst many others, Sally has a gift for telling the stories of those who have made a global impact, revealing deeper insights that others miss. Sally is also a highly requested keynote speaker at events including TEDx, Snap Inc, Riyad Bank, Global Unstereotype Alliance Summit, AIESEC Asia Pacific Innovation Challenge, Tounche Summit, amongst others. She has also hosts and moderates high-level summits and events, including Fast Company Middle East, the ABLF Awards, the World Government Summit and more. She has been a presenter on some of the region’s top media platforms, presenting and producing outstanding live programs that highlight stories that speak to and inspire a global audience. Recently Sally was appointed as a global ambassador for the world-renowned Fred Hollows Foundation that works to restore sight to millions of people around the world. Sally has been featured in Vogue Arabia and was also a finalist for the Arab Woman Awards, under the patronage of HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan in partnership with UN Women.
Omar A. is an entrepreneur, public speaker and TV show personality who’s best known for his ability to engage and entertain any audience with his communications and public speaking skills bringing life to any event and creating a memorable occasion. Omar's proven track record has made him the go-to Event Host & Emcee for many local and global organizations from Forbes Middle East, Emaar, Binance, Bayut, Great Place to Work, Louis Vuitton and many more, his ability to work closely with the client and events management companies combined with his hands-on approach in all aspects of pre-planning from lighting, audio, video, event running order, and rehearsals has proven to be instrumental to the success in every event. Over the past 14 years in Dubai, Omar has established further credibility for his clients through his direct Television appearances with global entrepreneurs and celebrities including Tony Robins, Steve Harvey, Grant Cardone, Huda Beauty, Kevin O'leary and many more.
Jamila is a senior reporter at Forbes Middle East, where she leads the content strategy vertical across the English and Arabic editorial teams. From the world's wealthiest individuals to the sustainability champions and economic meltdowns in between, Jamila covers industry-wide regional and global issues.
Women’s Summit 2024 Attendee (In-Person)
Limited Seating Available: Register now to share in the unique experience and secure your spot . Early bird tickets are FREE for a limited time.
Fill out the information below, then click Next to continue.
The International Exhibition Center in Riyadh is a premier venue renowned for its modern and innovative design. Its standout feature is a state-of-the-art, column-free covered hall spanning 14,644 m², with a width of 75 meters, offering unmatched technical and functional versatility.
This expansive space is designed to accommodate exhibitions and conferences of all sizes and types. The hall’s flexibility allows it to be divided into four separate sections, enabling multiple events to run concurrently with seamless efficiency.
As a hub for international exhibitions and business events, the International Exhibition Center serves as a key commercial destination, attracting global attention and providing the perfect backdrop for hosting prestigious gatherings like the Women’s Summit. Its modern infrastructure and strategic design make it an ideal location to inspire and connect attendees.






ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi is a multi-award-winning venue offering organisers of exhibitions, conferences and events.
Marina Hall is Located on the waterfront at Centre Abu Dhabi Marina, this brand-new multipurpose space is the largest waterside exhibition hall in the MENA region.
Forbes Middle East is a licensee of Forbes Media and extends the Forbes brand of journalism across the Arab world. Forbes Middle East’s distinctive editorial style attracts a readership of Arab leaders, entrepreneurs, C-level executives, government officials and investors united by a belief in the spirit of free enterprise and entrepreneurial values.Across the region, Forbes Middle East sets the pace for preemptive business journalism. By uncovering trends and anticipating opportunities in the regional marketplace, each monthly issue brings top executives the information critical to their success – in both Arabic and English language editions. The magazine researches and publishes original rankings, based on methodologies set by Forbes Media.
General Inquiries
Forbes Middle East is a licensee of Forbes Media and extends the Forbes brand of journalism across the Arab world. Forbes Middle East’s distinctive editorial style attracts a readership of Arab leaders, entrepreneurs, C-level executives, government officials and investors united by a belief in the spirit of free enterprise and entrepreneurial values.Across the region, Forbes Middle East sets the pace for preemptive business journalism. By uncovering trends and anticipating opportunities in the regional marketplace, each monthly issue brings top executives the information critical to their success – in both Arabic and English language editions. The magazine researches and publishes original rankings, based on methodologies set by Forbes Media.