DUBAI, 6th May, 2025 (WAM) -- Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), met on Monday with a senior delegation from KIMS Hospitals Group, based in Hyderabad, India, led by Dr Rakesh Jalla, Senior Vice-President for International Business and Partnerships.
The meeting explored avenues for cooperation in specialised healthcare, diagnostics, medical education and scientific research.
Discussions focused on developing training programmes, improving patient experience, and facilitating the exchange of medical expertise between the UAE and India. Both sides also reviewed the potential for UAE-based patient referrals to KIMS hospitals in India, to broaden access to advanced treatment services.
One key proposal included the establishment of KIMS Group’s first international diagnostic centre in Dubai. The facility would deliver specialised diagnostic services in accordance with international standards, supporting the emirate’s broader healthcare objectives.
The meeting follows the recent official visit to India by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, which opened new opportunities for UAE–India cooperation across several sectors, including healthcare.
Al Ketbi reiterated DHA’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships and attracting global medical expertise. He noted that this aligns with the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and with Sheikh Hamdan’s directives to reinforce Dubai’s preparedness and leadership in global healthcare.
He expressed the Authority’s interest in developing a strategic partnership with KIMS Hospitals Group, one of South Asia’s most prominent medical institutions, and emphasised DHA’s role in creating an enabling environment for investment through advanced infrastructure and supportive regulations.
Such initiatives, he added, contribute directly to the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and underscore the private sector’s key role as a strategic partner in advancing Dubai’s healthcare system.
The KIMS delegation praised Dubai’s openness and commitment to collaborative partnerships and affirmed their enthusiasm for contributing to the city’s ongoing healthcare progress.
They also presented KIMS Group’s portfolio, which includes 16 hospitals with over 5,000 beds and services across 25 specialties such as organ transplantation, oncology, cardiology, neurosciences and robotic surgery. The group’s flagship 1,000-bed hospital in Hyderabad holds five quality accreditations and is recognised as South India’s largest private hospital.
The delegation expressed a desire to build a long-term partnership with DHA to elevate patient outcomes, improve quality of life and reinforce Dubai’s standing as a regional hub for advanced healthcare.