The 10 Best Healthcare Leaders in the UAE
Last year, the UAE made important progress in its healthcare industry, showing the government’s efforts to improve healthcare, enhance the quality of life, and encourage healthy lifestyles in communities.
One key achievement was the agreement signed between the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) and AstraZeneca. This agreement focuses on improving early lung cancer detection through advanced technology and best practices. MoHAP also launched the National Survey for Health and Nutrition 2024-2025. In addition, the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi approved the opening of the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi, the world’s first center for healthy longevity medicine.
To further improve healthcare, the UAE has set aside $1.56 billion (AED 5.74 billion) for healthcare and community prevention services in the 2025 fiscal year, which makes up 8% of the country’s federal budget.
Here are the top 10 healthcare leaders in the UAE, recognized in Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 Healthcare Leaders 2024, who have played key roles in these recent advancements.
1. Shaista Asif
- Company: PureHealth Holding
- Position: Cofounder & Group CEO
- Nationality: Pakistani
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Diversified
Shaista Asif co-founded PureHealth in 2006. She was the chief operating officer from 2010 until December 2023 when she became the group’s CEO. Under her leadership, PureHealth has grown significantly. By the end of 2024, the company increased its bed capacity by 82%, reaching 4,800 beds. It owns more than 100 hospitals, 300 clinics, and over 143 labs. In 2024, the company’s net profit increased by 13% to $391.1 million, and its revenues grew by 56.4% to $5.2 billion. PureHealth owns several healthcare companies, including SEHA, Daman, and Rafed. In January 2025, it agreed to buy 60% of Hellenic Healthcare Group for $2.3 billion.
2. Hasan Jasem Al Nowais
- Company: M42
- Position: Managing Director & Group CEO
- Nationality: Emirati
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Diversified
Hasan Al Nowais is the CEO of M42, a global health organization formed in 2023 by merging G42 Healthcare and Mubadala Health. M42 focuses on providing personalized healthcare that predicts and prevents health issues. The company has over 450 facilities in 26 countries. In its first month, M42 acquired Diaverum, a global renal care company. In October 2023, it launched Med42, an AI tool for healthcare. Al Nowais is also the chairman of several companies, including Rosewood Abu Dhabi, the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of M42. He was previously the CEO of Mubadala Health.
3. Shamsheer Vayalil
- Company: Burjeel Holdings
- Position: Founder & Chairman
- Nationality: Indian
- Residence: UAE
- Category: Diversified
Vayalil started Burjeel Holdings in 2007. Now, the company operates 97 locations across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, including 19 hospitals, 27 medical centers, 28 physiotherapy and wellness centers, 15 pharmacies, and more. In the first nine months of 2024, the group’s revenue grew by 11.7%, reaching $1 billion (AED3.7 billion). Vayalil is also the chairman of Amanat Holdings and a board member at Response Plus Holding. As of January 28, 2024, his net worth is $2.6 billion.
4. Saeed Jaber Al Kuwaiti
- Company: Abu Dhabi Healthcare Company (SEHA)
- Position: Group CEO
- Nationality: Emirati
- Residence: UAE
- Category: Hospitals
Al Kuwaiti joined SEHA in 2004 and has held several leadership roles. In April 2022, he became the Group CEO of SEHA, which is part of PureHealth Holding. SEHA’s operations include 16 hospitals and medical cities in Abu Dhabi, four in the northern Emirates, 30 healthcare centers, three dental centers, 18 disease prevention and screening centers, and five mobile clinics. In January 2024, SEHA bought Mayo Clinic’s shares in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City for $150 million. Al Kuwaiti has also been the CEO of Mafraq Hospital and Tawam Hospital.
5. Sherif Beshara
- Company: American Hospital Dubai
- Position: Group CEO
- Nationality: Egyptian
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Hospitals
Sherif Beshara has a master’s degree in International Law and over 10 years of experience in different roles, including legal advisor, chairman, and most recently, CEO of the Mohamed & Obaid AlMulla Group, which owns American Hospital Dubai. In March 2024, American Hospital Dubai launched a new Hernia Center with robotic technology. In August 2024, they opened the first Emirati medical tourism office outside the UAE in Lagos, Nigeria.
6. Khaled Ateeq Aldhaheri
- Company: The National Health Insurance Company – Daman
- Position: CEO
- Nationality: Emirati
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Health Insurance
Khaled Aldhaheri became CEO of Daman in 2023. Daman is part of PureHealth Holding and provides health coverage to major clients in the UAE, such as ADNOC, SEHA, ESE, AWQAF, EDGE Group, UAE University, and TAQA. In March 2024, Daman partnered with Axa–Global Healthcare to offer a new international private health insurance plan. Before joining Daman, Aldhaheri worked at SEHA in roles like Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
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7. Thumbay Moideen
- Company: Thumbay Group
- Position: Founder President
- Nationality: Indian
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Hospitals
Moideen started Thumbay Group in 1997. The group now operates in many areas, such as education, healthcare, medical research, diagnostics, retail pharmacy, health communications, retail optical, and wellness. In December 2024, the company announced plans to build Sharjah Healthcare City’s first private psychiatric and rehabilitation hospital. It will have 120 beds in two phases. Construction will begin in June 2025, and it will open in mid-2026.
8. Pelin Incesu
- Company: AstraZeneca
- Position: Area Vice President—Middle East & Africa
- Nationality: Turkish
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Pharmaceuticals
Incesu joined AstraZeneca in 2000 and became the Area Vice President in 2020. Before that, she was Vice President of Commercial Strategy from 2017. As of September 2024, AstraZeneca employs 2,300 people in the Middle East and Africa. In May 2024, AstraZeneca partnered with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and M42 to launch the UAE’s first Breast Cancer Quality Improvement Program and Research Platform to speed up progress in the fight against breast cancer.
9. Zaid S. Al Khayyat
- Company: Al Khayyat Investments (AKI)
- Position: Managing Director
- Nationality: Emirati
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Investments
Zaid became Managing Director in January 2016 and has helped the company grow in countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan. His father started AKI in the UAE in 1982. Today, AKI has many different businesses, such as in pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, retail, fitness, and cars. In October 2024, AKI Healthcare and the UK company Open Medical signed an agreement to work together on new digital healthcare solutions for the UAE and Oman.
10. László Svinger
- Company: Solventum
- Position: Vice President – Global Commercial Operations
- Nationality: Hungarian
- Lives in: UAE
- Category: Technology
In June 2023, László became Vice President of global commercial operations for 3M Healthcare, which changed its name to Solventum in April 2024. Solventum is an independent company with 22,000 employees and over 20 factories. The company saw a slight increase in sales in the third quarter of 2024, reaching $2.08 billion. Before this, László served on the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Dubai from June 2021 to September 2023 and led its sustainability efforts, representing US companies at COP27 and COP28.
Published: 29th January 2025
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