Dubai-headquartered healthcare enterprise NUQAIM Holdings and London-based healthcare concierge The Medical Travel Company (TMTC) have signed a strategic partnership to establish a medical travel corridor connecting patients from the UK and Africa with healthcare services in the UAE.
The agreement, signed
at Dusit Thani Dubai, will provide an end-to-end service covering specialist
consultations, visas, flights, accommodation, airport transfers and dedicated
care coordination throughout the patient journey.
The initiative offers UK patients an alternative amid growing pressure on the National Health Service (NHS), with more than eight million people reportedly waiting for medical appointments or surgery.
Patients will have access to internationally accredited
UAE hospitals located within a few hours’ flight from the UK.
The consortium also plans to bring international healthcare providers from India, the UK, the US and the UAE to operate within the Emirates.
Participating clinicians include
senior consultants experienced in complex procedures, including robotic
surgery.
The partnership builds on the UAE’s growing medical tourism sector.
Dubai ranked sixth globally on the Medical Tourism Index and welcomed 691,478 international health tourists in 2023.
The country has approximately 5,800 licensed healthcare facilities and
more than 69,400 private-sector healthcare professionals.
Demand for overseas
treatment among UK residents is also increasing, with an estimated 523,000
travelling abroad for medical care in 2024, compared with 348,000 in 2022.
Under the partnership, patients’ UK doctors will remain involved before, during and after treatment, supported by nurse-assisted recovery and telemedicine follow-ups.
The model aims to provide continuity of care while strengthening the UAE’s position as an international healthcare destination.
Dr. Shajir Gaffar, Managing Director, NUQAIM Holdings, said: “The UAE has built some of the most advanced healthcare infrastructure in the world, and patients from Europe, the GCC and Africa are increasingly choosing it. This partnership opens a trusted corridor from the UK and brings highly experienced world renowned and distinguished UAE Based specialists to manage these patients providing the highest internationally evidence based practices and care. Together, we are shaping a future where healthcare is accessible, efficient and compassionate.”
Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder, The Medical Travel Company, said: “Most medical travel companies book a hospital and stop there. TMTC is a full-stack healthcare concierge: a UK doctor assesses their case, we match the patient with the right specialist, and we handle their travel, treatment, recovery and follow-up once they’re home. That’s how Jean Paul got two new knees and skipped three years on a waiting list, and how Marie, at 79, got cancer treatment she had been told wasn’t possible by the NHS. That’s what TMTC is for: giving people a second chance at life. With NUQAIM, we can bring the TMTC Ecosystem to UAE and give patients world-class care through one seamless, fully managed journey.”
Dr. Samih Tarabichi, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Knee and Hip Replacement Expert said: "Many patients in the UK face prolonged waiting times for joint replacement surgery, during which pain can intensify and mobility can deteriorate. The UAE offers timely access to treatment at internationally accredited hospitals, delivered to established, evidence-based clinical standards. What matters most to me is that this partnership extends beyond surgery itself. Every patient will benefit from a coordinated treatment pathway, structured post-operative rehabilitation, and continuity of care after returning home, creating a seamless, patient-centred experience focused on clinical outcomes, recovery and long-term well-being."
The launch included a panel discussion on
the UAE’s future as a global medical travel hub, moderated by Prof. Abdel
Rahman Ahmed Omer, an international healthcare Strategic advisor and Executive
Director of NUQAIM Holdings. -TradeArabia News Service
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