WHX Tech Opens in Dubai With A Focus On The Future Of Healthcare

More than 200 expert speakers, 300 exhibitors, and 5,000 global healthcare leaders are coming together for the first edition of WHX Tech, a new platform dedicated to digital health innovation that launched on Monday at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE. 

Opening the event, HE Dr. Alawi AlSheikh-Ali, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, emphasized that the debut edition of WHX Tech, which runs from September 8-10, 2025 and is being held in strategic partnership with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), captures the pace of technological progress in healthcare.

AlSheikh-Ali also underlined that the digital solutions on display are designed to strengthen services and outcomes, aligning with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and guided by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. 

Speaking about the alignment between WHX Tech and Dubai’s healthcare journey, Peter Hall, President of India, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) at Informa Markets, the organizer of WHX Tech, said, “There is no better place to host the inaugural edition of this event than Dubai, because of its unique position at the crossroads of East and West. It is a city that embodies innovation, ambition and progress—values perfectly aligned with the mission of WHX Tech. Focusing on thought leadership, connections, networking, and overall event experience, this event is a call to action, providing a space where global stakeholders can come together to discuss, debate, and solve complex issues in healthcare and technology.” 

HE Dr. Amin Al Ameeri, Assistant Undersecretary of Health Regulations Sector at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, also spoke at WHX Tech, where he addressed the audience with a question: who will shape the future of healthcare—humans or artificial intelligence (AI)? “We say it's the human being," Dr. Al Ameeri declared. "The human being is the one to lead AI. In Dubai, we value human beings, their brains, their ideas, and innovations. What we need from you then is to bring all your beautiful ideas, all your innovations, all your technologies, to us. Our DNA is to adopt and host these new technologies together for the future of health and humanity.” 

Also speaking at the event was HE Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDA), who described how her entity is accelerating the approval process for locally developed medical products. She noted that the EDA’s internally named “Turbo Track” has already led to the approval of 23 new medicines in 2025, despite the agency being established less than two years ago. 

HE Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDA).

"The EDA is using AI as a tool, not a replacement,” she explained, comparing it to the calculator’s role in advancing human ability to solve complex problems. “Humans will always be our number 1 asset, so, looking ahead, EDA will expand its AI capabilities, boost manufacturing investment, and deepen international cooperation, all while aligning with WHO maturity level four standards. EDA was created not just to regulate, but to empower, and we see WHX Tech as a platform for partnerships that translate innovation into impact, ensuring better access, stronger resilience, and long-term health security for the UAE and beyond.” 

Harold ‘Hal’ Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS, focused his remarks on the evolving healthcare landscape in the region. “There’s nothing unique about the challenges here in the Middle East and in North Africa," he said. "The numbers are high for two reasons: 1. We have an aging population—that’s a good thing, but the longer people live, the higher the propensity for chronic disease. And 2. Our ability on a prevention level to understand and diagnose chronic disease continues to improve, so the numbers will grow even as our ecosystem gets healthier. AI and other technology tools [can help] give us the knowledge and operation leads we need to be successful.” 

Later in the program, Shyam Bishen, Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, led a session titled “Transforming Healthcare Access and Efficiency through Digital Innovation,” where he discussed how digital solutions are streamlining healthcare delivery, supporting insurance processes, and expanding patient access across the Arab region. 

“The MENA region is the world’s fastest-growing digital health market, with many unique strengths across various sectors, especially in digital health,” he said. “This includes strong government backing, with clear strategies for digital health transformation and significant public investment in a rapidly evolving digital economy, focusing heavily on the development of AI and data architecture and infrastructure,” said Bishen.  

Pictured in the lead image is HE Dr. Amin Al Ameeri, Assistant Undersecretary of Health Regulations Sector at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, speaking at WHX Tech. All images courtesy WHX Tech.