U.S. Mayo Clinic partners with Abu Dhabi to operate hospital

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Abu Dhabi has partnered with U.S. non-profit organization Mayo Clinic in a joint venture to operate one of the largest hospitals in the United Arab Emirates as it seeks to become a regional hub for world-class healthcare.

State-owned Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Mayo Clinic said on Sunday they would operate Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, one of the UAE’s largest hospitals for patients with serious or complex medical conditions.

“Investments like this are establishing Abu Dhabi as a global destination for health care, in line with the Department of Health’s vision to bring the world’s standards in healthcare to Abu Dhabi,” said Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, chairman of the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi.

The deal with Mayo Clinic follows a similar arrangement in 2015 when Abu Dhabi, through its Mubadala Investment Company, partnered with U.S. medical center Cleveland Clinic to open a multispecialty hospital.

Details of Mayo Clinic’s shareholding or investment in the joint venture were not disclosed.

The agreement was signed by SEHA’s chairman Salem Rashid Al Noaimi and Mayo Clinic’s president and chief executive Gianrico Farrugia, a statement from SEHA said.

The multispecialty hospital will be staffed by 2,240 caregivers, including more than 440 internationally trained physicians.

SEHA operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, more than 60 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and two blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 100,000 inpatients annually and conduct 41,000 surgeries, as well as treating more than 5 million outpatients