Middle East's health sector a good match for Irish innovation

Among the success stories at this year's Arab Health event was Aerogen, which opened its first Middle East commercial office in Dubai. Photo: Bloomberg

Clare Roche

If you look past headlines about fluctuating oil prices and political instability that tend to dominate global coverage of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, you will find a growing healthcare sector in which spending is expected to reach $150bn (€122bn) by 2020, according to Deloitte.

In January, 20 Irish companies participated at Arab Health, the largest healthcare exhibition and conference in the region. Arab Health has become a strategically important event that enables established companies in the region to build on their market presence and provides new companies and high-potential startups with an holistic overview of the market environment and opportunities, as well as providing access to key players and potential partners.