Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 5, 2017:  The Dubai Health Forum, which will take place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, will gather world-renowned experts who will speak about the future of medicine.

The two-day event will take place at the Grand Hyatt on January 9 and 10 and will commence with a welcome address from His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).  

Renowned speakers at the event include His Excellency Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais, UAE Health and Prevention Minister. Al Qwais, who has been Minister of Health since 2013, also oversaw the transformation of the department, which changed from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Health and Prevention in February 2016. With prevention of disease and conditions such as obesity and diabetes now a clear priority of the department, Al Qwais will address the audience on what measures are being taken.

Her Excellency Ohood Bint Khalfan Al Roumi was appointed Minister of State for Happiness in February last year. The minister will address DHF on what this constitutes and how healthcare professionals from both the public and private sectors can work towards these common goals. 

The DHF will see a number of prominent speakers in the health field come together to discuss the latest technology and innovation in healthcare.  International ministers include His Excellency Ahmed Mohammed Obaid Al Saidi, Minister of Health from the Sultanate of Oman and His Excellency Abdulla Al Qahtani, Former Minister of Health, Qatar, who will discuss the role of government in healthcare in The Future of Healthcare, A Minister’s Point of View session. The UAE Minister of Health and Prevention will also take part in the discussion.

Mayor Mick Cornett who famously put Oklahoma City on a diet will also attend DHF, where he will reveal how he helped his hometown lose an impressive one million pounds in weight collectively.

Also in attendance is Her Excellency  Aisha Bin Basher, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office. She will present her thoughts on the link between smart health services and smart cities. 

Foreign experts also play a significant role at DHF.  Bernard Kouchner, former French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Co-founder of world-famous charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde, will discuss global healthcare, beyond borders, at the forum. MSF is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian organisation, made up of voluntary medical personnel who contribute their time and expertise to assist in situations of emergency or inadequate medical care in the developing world. 

Kouchner himself has enjoyed a fascinating life and brought aid to countless people. The Frenchman has organised humanitarian operations to Somalia, El Salvador, Lebanon and Vietnam. He has also led field operations in Cambodia, Thailand, Uruguay, Peru, Guatemala and Honduras. Kouchner was also the first person to challenge the Red Cross’ stance of neutrality and silence in wars and massacres. The humanitarian continues to promote universal access to medical care and remains committed to international efforts in the fight against AIDS.

One of the  innovative speakers at DHF is Nathan Daniel Wolfe. He is the founder and CEO of US-based biotechnology company, Metabiot. He specialises in how to prevent and predict global pandemics. The Harvard and Stanford graduate will present his ideas and findings at DHF’s Foreseeing the Future of Pandemics session. 

Haile Thomas is one of the youngest CEOs in the world and will also be one of the speakers. She is the CEO of HAPPY Organisation, which aims to improve the health and well-being of Arizona’s youth through education, outreach and advocacy about proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. In keeping with the ethos of DHF, Thomas will be representing the younger, future generation of healthcare.