Invitation-only WHX Leaders summit convenes policymakers and healthcare executives to shape the future of global health systems.
Global healthcare leaders gathered in Dubai for the official launch of WHX Leaders, an invitation-only summit uniting senior policymakers, health system executives, global institutions, and innovators to align on key priorities shaping the future of healthcare delivery worldwide.
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Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and aligned with UAE Vision 2031, the high-level summit served as a preview to the full WHX Leaders programme launching in 2027. It provided a closed-door setting for strategic dialogue on prevention-led care, responsible adoption of artificial intelligence, and long-term system sustainability.
Strategic vision and leadership perspectives
Opening the summit, His Excellency Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Health Regulations Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention, outlined the UAEโs ambition to become a global leader in healthcare innovation by shifting from reactive treatment to prevention and personalised care. The Ministry highlighted the roles of artificial intelligence, genomics, and unified national health data in enabling more predictive, equitable, and sustainable healthcare models.
Shaista Asif, Group Chief Executive Officer, Pure Health, emphasized the need to rethink healthcare as a driver of national wellbeing: โWe firmly believe that the next decade will not be defined by opening new hospitals. It will be defined by new thinking. Weโre giving people more life to live, more time with their families, more years of contribution, more years of purpose.โ
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, addressed the summit via video link, highlighting AIโs transformative potential and risks: โArtificial Intelligence holds huge potential to transform systems and expand access to essential health services, but it also carries risks that countries must understand and navigate. Countries need strong governance, trusted data and sustained investment.โ
Reimagining healthcare delivery
Lord Stephen Carter, Group Chief Executive Officer, Informa, described this period as the most consequential era for healthcare leadership: โThe healthcare sector is operating in an exponentially expanding market, with more people, more older adults, and more informed, demanding patients who expect personalised, preventative care and a better quality of life.โ
Additional speakers included H.E. Saleh Mahdi Muttalib Al-Hasnawi, Minister of Health, Iraq; H.E. Saman Albarzingi, Minister of Health, Kurdistan Regional Government; Daniel Kraft, Founder and CEO of NextMed Health; Dimitris Moulavasilis, Group CEO of M42; Maneesh Goyal, Chief Operating Officer of Mayo Clinic; Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; and Sameh ElFangary, Chairman of PHRMAG.
The full WHX Leaders programme will take place in 2027, reinforcing the UAEโs position as a global hub for healthcare leadership, investment, and innovation.
