Event
Building global connections at WHX Dubai 2026
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This year’s WHX Dubai brought together leaders from across the international health and life sciences community for a dynamic week of collaboration, insight and shared ambition.
From opening conversations to closing reflections, Harley Street Health District was proud to represent the UK’s commitment to global healthcare partnerships — and to explore how innovation, regulation and real-world care models are evolving in step.
Day 1 set the tone with a strong focus on global collaboration and the future of whole health. It was a day of reconnecting with partners, meeting new stakeholders, and reinforcing a shared appetite for innovation that delivers real-world impact. We ended the day by hosting a drinks reception. This was a valuable chance to continue the day’s conversations and strengthen ties across the international health community.
Day 2 spotlighted regulatory innovation and the power of cross-border collaboration. A morning roundtable hosted by DAC Beachcroftand CF brought together key voices from NEOM, Skai Health and beyond to explore lessons from Dubai’s regulatory sandbox. The session underlined the value of adaptable frameworks that enable safe, scalable innovation. This is something we see as increasingly essential to supporting whole-health pathways.
The day continued at the UK Healthcare Pavilion with ABHI, where Nora Colton (UCL Global Business School for Health) introduced the concept of the ‘New Health Economy’, touching on the critical intersection of equity, innovation and demographic change. Throughout the programme, there was strong interest in precision diagnostics, AI-enabled care and the future of the operating theatre – all themes core to our work in the District.
The announcement from District partners, The London Clinic, of their new longevity clinic reinforced the growing focus on personalised, preventative care across international markets.
In the evening, we joined the Hill Dickinson BLK Partners reception. This was a great opportunity to connect with peers from the ABHI Middle East Accelerator and continue conversations from across the day.
Day 3 took us to Abu Dhabi with the ABHI accelerator cohort for site visits and meetings at leading hospitals and the Hub71 innovation platform. We explored synergies between their health innovation model and our own Hale House and learned more about the UAE’s long-term plans to expand its population from 13 million to 30 million by 2031, signalling both opportunity and urgency in designing scalable, sustainable care.
We’re grateful to the ABHI team for hosting the visit and facilitating such valuable conversations.
Looking ahead, the week affirmed WHX as a key platform for convening innovators, health providers, and system leaders with a shared focus on outcomes. We return to the District energised by the momentum and inspired by the next wave of international collaboration.
