Entering the UAE market

Well-researched homework is the key to success, says Mazin Gadir, Government healthcare adviser and Director of Partnerships and Strategic Alliances Iqvia

The Middle East market is full of opportunity but navigating it can be complex for companies looking to enter it. While the obvious benefit is familiarity through language for English companies, the routes to entry can be varied. For this reason, spending time to research the market is invaluable, especially for SMEs with limited resources.

It’s important to scope the market, customise or localise your value proposition and understand the lay of the land for success. Those who do this efficiently can hit the ground running. The British Business Group, based at the British Embassy, is an invaluable resource which can help companies build networks and navigate regulatory requirements. The Department for International Trade in the UK conducts trade missions and makes introductions, supporting partnerships between UK companies and overseas healthcare providers.

Once you have done your preliminary research, it’s a good idea to continue it in country.

Dubai hosts many conferences and these can be a good place to start. Arab Health at the end of January is the best place to make contacts and begin to understand the requirements for British companies. There are plenty of opportunities for start ups to showcase their innovations and capabilities, particularly in technology, such as GITEX Technology Week, which is one of the biggest conferences we have in October of every year. These are also stepping stones for SMEs and innovators to come in and establish relationships.

The UAE health system

Dubai has an insurance driven and mandated health system, which means that more than 99.98 per cent of Dubai residents have to have insurance. Most of the insurance comes through employers, so when you set up your own business, you have to cater for the insurance of your employees as part of the visa issuance process.

As a very business-oriented ecosystem, the Dubai focus is always on growing the private sector. Most of the inpatient and outpatient visits happen in the private sector as only 5 or 6 out of 34 hospitals are public. The vast majority of healthcare services are provided by the private sector and we have around 60 different insurance companies playing in the Dubai healthcare market, which caters for more than 4.8m people approximately.

Abu Dhabi is a different ballgame because it’s almost a single payer system and state insurer Daman is the most dominant insurance company. In this regard it is similar to the UK. That’s why, by default, when you come into Abu Dhabi, you get insured by the government system. The private sector is growing in Abu Dhabi, but the dominance is with the public sector.

Setting realistic goals for market entry

Any company that is looking to come into the UAE for quick returns is not going to find it easy. Business here is very much built on relationships, so it’s important to understand this and realise it’s unlikely you will see any return in the first 18 months. So, for small companies, establishing partnerships and strategic alliances with well-established regional companies or working with free zones is often the route to market.

Mazin Gadir Government Healthcare Advisor/Director of Partnerships IQVIA

“Business here is very much built on relationships, so it’s important to understand this and realise it’s unlikely you will see any return in the first 18 months”

There are many start up communities and programmes across the UAE, from the Dubai Future Foundation to the programmes in the Chamber of Commerce in Dubai. Plug and Play, powered by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, is the prime innovation platform in the Middle East, matchmaking start-ups with major corporations and investing in them. There are also many incubator hubs, such as the one at the Dubai Science Park, that will support companies looking to grow.

There are a number of family-owned companies that facilitate entry to the market with a some form of investment. They can help with trade licenses and

they are a good vehicle for those who have some money to bring in - they have the reputation and they are well known, although often they have strict requirements for acceptance. They can be a good alternative for companies who don’t want to go down the free zone route.

Free zones are a good option for those companies that want to come in alone and be able to establish entities working, collaborating with governments. Free zones are becoming more and more competitive, and offer a faster way of establishing yourself. Others may prefer to be onshore to help you bring in your registration, your visa screener, visas and other requirements to establish your presence in the region. But again, for the British companies that do not have that type of adventurousness for resource intensive entry mechanisms, they should look at partnerships. There is also the option to establish yourself via the Saudi offshore route.

If your company or healthcare facility provides medical and pharmaceutical devices, these have to be approved, certified and authorised at the federal level. If you’re in Dubai, a facility licence comes from the Dubai Health Authority, in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Health, and in the Northern Emirates from the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

In conclusion, if you are looking to enter the UAE market, access governmental support from the UK government to start with, such as trade missions and business councils. Also use conferences to come and feel the water as they bring everybody together and make the journey easier.

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazingadir-phd-msc-beng-pmp-proscilssgb-ebas-agile-b4a4533/