Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh has an impressive career, having built pipelines, launched airlines, and developed financial centers. Now, as the UAE’s new Minister of Health and Prevention, he faces his most unexpected challenge: transforming the nation’s healthcare system.
The 63-year-old from Abu Dhabi began his journey in the energy sector, rising through the ranks at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) before leading Dolphin Energy. He oversaw the renowned Dolphin Gas Project, which connects Qatar, the UAE, and Oman, delivering up to 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily. This role involved navigating international laws, collaborating with governments, and ensuring smooth operations across borders.
Al Sayegh holds an economics degree from Lewis & Clark College in Oregon and returned to the UAE to aid in its infrastructure development. As chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market, he established a regulatory framework that attracted global banks and investment firms to Al Maryah Island, now a hub for financial institutions worldwide.
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His contributions to institution-building include chairing Aldar Properties during its expansion, founding Masdar renewable energy company, and serving on the board of Etihad Airways at its 2003 inception.
Since 2018, Al Sayegh has been the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, managing UAE’s economic ties with Asia and former Soviet states, central to trade, investment, and technology partnerships crucial for diversifying beyond oil.
New leadership role
Al Sayegh succeeds AbdulRahman Al Owais, the former health minister now focusing on his role as Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs. Al Owais revolutionized the UAE’s healthcare sector, leading the pandemic response and expanding insurance coverage.
The cabinet reshuffle, announced by Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s directives, appoints a seasoned leader in project management and international relations to oversee healthcare.
As health minister, Al Sayegh enters a sector that mirrors the intricate, globally connected industries where he built his reputation. In 2022, UAE healthcare spending reached nearly Dh73 billion, with Dubai’s medical tourism generating Dh12.1 billion. In 2023, PureHealth, the region’s largest healthcare group, went public on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange with a record Dh3.6 billion IPO.
Patients from the region prefer UAE hospitals over traditional foreign destinations, and international medical institutions establish local operations. Private investments in healthcare infrastructure mirror the patterns Al Sayegh managed in energy and finance.
Al Sayegh applies this approach to healthcare, treating major hospitals like Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as key national assets and viewing medical tourism as an economic pillar.
His application of financial diplomacy to healthcare will shape the UAE’s future as a global hub for medical excellence and innovation.
