Top Israel hospital signs historic medical deal with UAE

An Israeli hospital has agreed to work with the United Arab Emirates to develop drugs, design future hospitals and manage healthcare tourism between the two countries, whose leaders agreed to normalise relations last month.

Sheba Medical Centre and APEX National Investment in Abu Dhabi signed a memorandum of understanding last week, which also included sharing data on patient outcomes to better design future therapies.

The promise to “mutually cooperate on key medical challenges” is centred on the use of advanced health technology, including advances in telemedicine and Virtual Reality, alongside more immediate needs such as the fight against Covid-19.

“The agreement reflects the extent of the two countries’ interest in developing and reaching the highest standards in the field of health to serve the people in the region, as well as an extension of both states efforts in developing cutting-edge innovation in the medical field,” said Khalifa Khoury, chairman of APEX National Investment.

Sheba’s Prof Yitshak Kreiss said: “We are proud to be the first Israeli hospital to sign such an historic agreement with a renowned company in the UAE. It represents the culmination of our year-long effort to establish ties with the Gulf.”