WHX unveils ‘WHX Leaders’ in Dubai to tackle global health challenges

UAE—The World Health Expo (WHX) has unveiled plans to launch WHX Leaders in Dubai, an exclusive, invitation-only platform bringing together the world’s most influential healthcare decision-makers to address critical challenges facing global health systems.

The initiative will debut with a special preview event on February 8, 2026, serving as a precursor to the full WHX Leaders programme scheduled for 2027.

This new platform will complement WHX in Dubai (formerly Arab Health) and WHX Labs in Dubai (formerly Medlab Middle East), creating a trio of healthcare-focused events across the emirate.

The expansion strengthens the UAE’s standing as a global center for healthcare leadership, investment, and innovation.

WHX operates under inD, a partnership between Informa Group PLC and Dubai World Trade Centre.

Operating under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and aligned with UAE Vision 2031, WHX Leaders in Dubai launches at a critical moment for healthcare worldwide.

Global health systems are experiencing unprecedented strain from multiple converging pressures, including rapidly ageing populations, escalating rates of chronic disease, and severe workforce shortages.

According to World Health Organization projections, the healthcare sector will face a deficit of approximately 11 million health workers by 2030.

Rising costs continue to place additional burdens on already stretched infrastructure across both developed and emerging markets.

Simultaneously, revolutionary advances in digital health, data analytics, and artificial intelligence are fundamentally transforming how healthcare is planned, delivered, and financed.

These technological breakthroughs frequently develop faster than regulatory frameworks can adapt, creating governance challenges for policymakers and health system leaders.

The convergence of these systemic pressures and transformative opportunities underscores the critical need for a dedicated platform where senior leaders can collaborate on shaping the future of healthcare leadership.

The forum will convene approximately 200 senior leaders representing the highest echelons of global healthcare decision-making.

Attendees will include health ministers, government strategists, chief executive officers, international investors, and influential figures from artificial intelligence, digital health, and academic institutions.

These participants actively shape national healthcare policies, direct substantial financial investments, and influence the governance frameworks that will determine how global health systems evolve in coming decades.

Lord Stephen Carter, Group CEO of Informa, emphasized the company’s commitment to creating opportunities for entire markets to connect, collaborate, and innovate.

He described WHX Leaders Dubai as a powerful expression of this mission, bringing together key influencers from across the global healthcare ecosystem.

Carter highlighted Dubai’s role as an ideal setting for these conversations, noting the city’s position as a global hub for progress and connectivity.

The 2026 launch preview will showcase the caliber of strategic dialogue that will characterize the platform going forward.

A flagship strategic leadership discussion will examine how digital and intelligence-driven healthcare systems require new approaches to policy, governance, and leadership structures.

Designed as a closed-door, outcomes-driven forum, WHX Leaders held its inaugural African edition in 2024 and addresses the need for a trusted environment where senior leaders can engage in strategic dialogue beyond the limitations of traditional conference formats.

The platform enables high-level discussions on policy alignment, institutional readiness, long-term system resilience, and the investment and governance models necessary to support next-generation health systems across the Middle East and beyond.

Confirmed speakers for the preview event include Shaista Asif, Group CEO of Pure Health; 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 The Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Association Gulf and President for GCC & Pakistan at AstraZeneca.