Medical giant Medtronic shifts regional HQ to Dubai

Rabih Dandachi from Medtronic demonstrates Fusion, a surgical navigation system by Medtronic at the Arab Health Congress. The medical giant is planning to move its regional headquarters to Dubai. SarShow more

DUBAI // The world’s largest medical technological company is moving its regional headquarters to Dubai.

Medtronic, which makes medical equipment to treat cardiac and vascular diseases, diabetes, neurological and spinal conditions, is moving its Middle East and North Africa base from Lebanon to the DuBiotech freezone in the emirate.

“We decided that Dubai should be the ideal platform for us to expand on our ambitious growth plan,” said Majid Kaddoumi, vice president and managing director of Medtronic in the Mena region at the Arab Health Congress on Tuesday.

“We thought it was the ideal location for us to do that. There are very few cities that can compete with Dubai. In a region where healthcare spending is on the rise, there is huge opportunity for the private sector to increase its participation.

“We hope that by showcasing the cutting-edge technology and solutions that our innovative medical solutions offer, we can go some way to contributing to raising the standard of care in the region further still.”

Mr Kaddoumi said the health services company, which has a US$17billion (Dh62.43bn) annual turnover, will also open a new academy to help train doctors in up-and-coming medical technology.

The Medtronic Academy will deliver training courses to hundreds of healthcare practitioners every year, he said.

Marwan Abdulaziz, executive director of DuBiotech, said Medtronic was the latest global medical technology player to bring regional operations to the UAE.

“The organisation brings unrivalled expertise, experience and knowledge of medical technology and we are thrilled to provide a base for their operations,” Mr Abdulaziz said. “It clearly recognises the needs of the market in Dubai and the wider region in terms of driving innovation and raising industry standards.”