UrbaCon calls for more health care investment

The CEO of UrbaCon Trading and Contracting is calling for greater investment in health care projects across the Gulf region.

UrbaCon is a construction contractor based in Qatar responsible for the building of the Mall of Qatar, the Banana Island Resort, the Sheraton Doha Hotel and Convention Center, and the Lekhwiya Stadium at Al Duhail. UrbaCon CEO Moataz Al-Khayyat, citing the more than $5 billion that Qatar spent on public and private health care projects last year, said Thursday that health care presents an opportunity for building the regional economy that could benefit patients, workers, and businesses.

"The investment in the health sector significantly supports the Gulf economy so investments should be increased, including building of new hospitals and medical research facilities," he said.

Al-Khayyat made his remarks in the context of the Arab Health exhibition, held in Dubai from Jan 25-28. Arab Health is the second largest gathering of its kind in the world and the largest in the region. He called the exhibition “a great opportunity for the private sector to discuss how we could develop this important sector,” as growing populations seek more and better health services in the years to come.