Asan Medical Center to Export its Healthcare System to UAE

65-bed Gastrointestinal Hospital to be built in Dubai in 2026…Operation and Management Agreement Signed on Thursday, 22nd

Complex disease care including gastrointestinal disease treatment, liver transplantation management …UAE's first gastrointestinal specialized hospital

President Seung-Il Park "We will strengthen our international standing by serving as a specialized hospital providing advanced treatment and an educational hub."

 

▲ President Seung-Il Park of Asan Medical Center(fifth from the left), CEO Fareed Bilbeisi of Scope Investment(sixth from the left), and participants are taking a commemorative photo during the

Signing Ceremony for the Operation and Management Agreement of Asan GI Hospital-UAE(tentative name) held on the 22nd.

Asan Medical Center, which treats the largest number of severely ill patients in Korea, particularly in the areas of cancer, organ transplantation, and heart disease, is embarking on an endeavor to export its healthcare system to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Asan Medical Center will establish a state-of-the-art gastrointestinal specialized hospital with a capacity of 65 beds in Dubai Healthcare City, UAE, in 2026. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of life for seriously ill patients in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, who previously had to travel to distant countries for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers such as stomach and colon cancer, post-liver transplantation management, and surgery for morbid obesity. Furthermore, it is anticipated to enhance local healthcare standards through the transfer of medical expertise.

Asan GI Hospital-UAE (tentative name), scheduled to be established in 2026, will be under the operational oversight and management of Asan Medical Center. This will encompass the comprehensive administration of the healthcare system, including medical treatment and education. It will be operated in collaboration with Scope Investment, an investment company based in the United Arab Emirates, responsible for establishing the business foundation.

The signing ceremony for the Operation and Management Agreement took place on the morning of the 22nd (Thursday) at Asan Medical Center. Representatives from Asan Medical Center present at the event included President Seung-Il Park, Director Soo-Sung Park of Planning and Coordination, and Head Jong-Woo Choi of International Business Development. Representing Scope Investment were CEO Fareed Bilbeisi, General Manager Saeed Aldayeh of the Healthcare Sector, and more.

In the UAE, approximately one out of every five individuals suffers from gastrointestinal diseases such as acid reflux, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Among all types of cancer, colorectal cancer has the second-highest prevalence rate.

Additionally, obesity has emerged as a significant social issue in recent years in the UAE, primarily due to the hot climate, which leads to reduced physical activity, and a diet predominantly focused on meat consumption. The prevalence rate of obesity is nearly twice the global average.

Considering this healthcare environment, in 2019, Scope Investment proposed a collaboration related to the establishment of a hospital to Asan Medical Center, which is at the forefront of providing high-level and complex treatments on a world-class level. After thorough deliberation spanning over two years, Asan Medical Center signed a joint venture agreement in 2021 and subsequently completed procedures such as land acquisition, hospital design, and establishment of a joint venture company. Finally, on the 22nd, the Operation and Management Agreement was signed. This hospital will be the first global hospital of Asan Medical Center and the first integrated gastrointestinal specialized hospital in the GCC^*.

＊GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council): A regional organization consisting of six countries-the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain.

Asan GI Hospital-UAE will have a total of 65 beds, including an intensive care unit, with two basement floors to seven ground floors and a total floor area of 21,150m². As part of the collaboration, six to seven doctors and four to five nurses from Asan Medical Center will be dispatched. Their responsibilities will extend beyond patient care to encompass the overall operations of the hospital. Asan Medical Center will transfer its system and management know-how without requiring separate investments and receive operating fees, including personnel expenses, a portion of the revenue for the next 15 years, and incentives based on the achievement of specified targets.

Asan GI Hospital-UAE will offer comprehensive treatment for various gastrointestinal diseases, including the stomach, colon, liver, bile duct, and pancreas. It will offer minimally invasive procedures through endoscopy, surgical treatment for early-stage gastrointestinal cancers, and bariatric surgery for obesity. Additionally, the hospital will provide much-needed specialized treatment for pediatric gastrointestinal disorders, which was lacking in Dubai.

Moreover, the hospital will provide integrated pre- and post-liver transplantation management. Given the limited medical technology, organ transplantation is still not widely performed in the Middle East. Therefore, a comprehensive service model will be implemented. This model will involve patients undergoing liver transplantation at Asan Medical Center and subsequently receiving post-operative care at Asan GI Hospital-UAE, ensuring a seamless continuum of medical services from pre-operative to post-operative stages.

Asan Medical Center has already witnessed a steady influx of patients from the UAE who are unable to access suitable treatment in their own country. Over the past decade, 65 patients from the UAE underwent successful liver transplantation at Asan Medical Center and returned home in good health. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Asan Medical Center treated 3,474 patients from the UAE, and in the past year alone, it provided medical care to 3,197 patients. Among the 17,835 international patients who visited Asan Medical Center, they accounted for the second-largest proportion, constituting 18% of the total.

Asan Medical Center is strategically focused on enhancing local healthcare standards through the transfer of knowledge and expertise. Having shared the latest medical technologies with over 3,700 international medical professionals from nearly 90 countries in the past decade, it is expected to serve as an educational hub in the Middle East region.

In the previous year alone, Asan Medical Center conducted more than 2,800 surgeries for stomach cancer, over 2,600 surgeries for colorectal and rectal cancer, and more than 1,100 surgeries for liver cancer. Its Digestive Endoscopy Center stands as the second-largest facility of its kind globally, providing care to an average of over 400 patients with gastrointestinal diseases each day. Furthermore, to ensure specialized treatments for specific conditions, Asan Medical Center operates specialized clinics such as the Liver Center, Stomach Cancer Center, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, and Pancreatobiliary Disease Center.

Asan Medical Center holds the rank of 29^th in the ‘2023 World's Best Hospitals’ evaluation conducted by U.S. Newsweek. Its global recognition is further evident, with a notable 6th place ranking in the field of gastroenterology and 7th place in cancer by clinical specialty.

Head Jong-Woo Choi of the International Business Development at Asan Medical Center (Professor, Department of Plastic Surgery) stated, "Asan GI Hospital-UAE will significantly contribute to improving the quality of life for patients from the UAE, including the Middle East, by offering advanced endoscopic treatment methods such as Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) and Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) for early cancer treatment. Moreover, we will excel in providing high-complexity treatments such as liver transplantation management and bariatric surgery."

President Seung-Il Park of Asan Medical Center expressed, "Leveraging our accumulated clinical experience and expertise, we are committed to fulfilling our role as a specialized hospital for the treatment of severely ill patients from the UAE. We will further enhance local healthcare standards through the education of local medical professionals, thus solidifying our international standing as a global hospital."

Meanwhile, Scope Investment, the financial investor of Asan GI Hospital-UAE, is a prominent global investment group with a diverse portfolio spanning industries such as healthcare, real estate, distribution, and ICT in the GCC, Africa, and Levant regions.