A new Dubai-based medical travel partnership will connect patients from the UK and Africa with treatment in the UAE, including specialist surgery and coordinated recovery care.
UAE medical travel corridor targets UK and African patients
Dubai-headquartered NUQAIM Holdings and London-based The Medical Travel Company (TMTC) signed a strategic partnership in Dubai on October 26, 2026, to establish a medical travel corridor linking patients in the UK and Africa with healthcare providers in the UAE.
The service is designed to manage the patient journey from initial medical consultation and specialist selection to travel arrangements, treatment, recovery and follow-up care after returning home.
The announcement comes as patients in the UK face long waits for treatment. The partnership’s organisers cite more than eight million people waiting to see a doctor or undergo surgery in the UK.
Under the proposed model, patients will have access to treatment in the UAE, with support for visas, flights, accommodation, airport transfers and a dedicated care coordinator.
How the medical travel service will work
The partnership plans to bring healthcare providers and specialists from the UAE, UK, India and the US into its network, including consultants experienced in complex procedures and robotic surgery.
Patient care will extend beyond the operation itself. According to the partners, each patient’s UK doctor will remain involved before, during and after treatment, supported by nurse-assisted recovery and telemedicine follow-ups.
Dr Samih Tarabichi, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Knee and Hip Replacement Expert, said: “Many patients in the UK face prolonged waiting times for joint replacement surgery, during which pain can intensify and mobility can deteriorate. The UAE offers timely access to treatment at internationally accredited hospitals, delivered to established, evidence-based clinical standards.
“What matters most to me is that this partnership extends beyond surgery itself. Every patient will benefit from a coordinated treatment pathway, structured post-operative rehabilitation, and continuity of care after returning home, creating a seamless, patient-centred experience focused on clinical outcomes, recovery and long-term well-being.”
Dubai’s medical tourism sector
The partnership builds on Dubai’s position as a destination for international patients. The announcement states that the emirate ranked sixth on the Medical Tourism Index and welcomed 691,478 international health tourists in 2023.
It also cites an estimated 523,000 UK residents travelling abroad for treatment in 2024, compared with 348,000 in 2022.
These figures point to an expanding market for cross-border healthcare, with the UAE seeking to attract patients looking for access to specialist treatment and coordinated support throughout their care.
What the companies say
Dr Shajir Gaffar, Managing Director of NUQAIM Holdings, said: “The UAE has built some of the most advanced healthcare infrastructure in the world, and patients from Europe, the GCC and Africa are increasingly choosing it. This partnership opens a trusted corridor from the UK and brings highly experienced world renowned and distinguished UAE Based specialists to manage these patients providing the highest internationally evidence based practices and care. Together, we are shaping a future where healthcare is accessible, efficient and compassionate.”
Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder of The Medical Travel Company, said: “Most medical travel companies book a hospital and stop there. TMTC is a full-stack healthcare concierge: a UK doctor assesses their case, we match the patient with the right specialist, and we handle their travel, treatment, recovery and follow-up once they’re home. That’s how Jean Paul got two new knees and skipped three years on a waiting list, and how Marie, at 79, got cancer treatment she had been told wasn’t possible by the NHS. That’s what TMTC is for: giving people a second chance at life. With NUQAIM, we can bring the TMTC Ecosystem to UAE and give patients world-class care through one seamless, fully managed journey.”
The partnership was announced at an event at Dusit Thani Dubai, which included a panel discussion on the UAE’s future as a global medical travel hub, moderated by Prof. Abdel Rahman Ahmed Omer, an international healthcare strategic adviser and Executive Director of NUQAIM Holdings.
