Andalucía TRADE–Public Business Agency for Transformation and Economic Development–has organized a direct trade mission to the United Arab Emirates for Andalusian health companies, held from February 10 to 12 in Dubai, one of the most advanced markets in the world for medical technology and biotechnology.
The action has developed within the framework of WHX Dubai 2026 and WHX Labs 2026, considered the largest gatherings in the healthcare sector in the Middle East. These fairs, previously known as Arab Health and Medlab, have brought together more than 235,000 professionals, 4,300 exhibitors from 180 countries, and more than 250 international speakers.
The participating companies have included Andefil, Plus Vitech, and Horixon Medtech, based in Seville, and Cobiomic Bioscience, located in Córdoba and recently recognized as the best startup at the I Andalucía TRADE Awards for Andalusian Companies 2025. The firms have showcased innovative solutions in medical devices, digital health, biotechnology, and laboratory technology, representing the excellence of the Andalusian healthcare ecosystem.
During the mission, the companies made visits to the fairs and developed an intense work agenda organized with the support of the Andalucía TRADE office in Dubai, which facilitated 48 meetings with potential partners and strategic clients. In addition, the delegation held institutional meetings at the two major events held in parallel at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), in Expo City, and at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
The companies have described the experience as 'spectacular' due to the scale of the fairs and the opportunities identified, highlighting the strategic value of the Emirates as a gateway to the MENA market and as a global hub for healthcare innovation.
The health sector in the United Arab Emirates, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, ranks among the most advanced in the world, leading indicators of care quality and medical tourism. The country is actively promoting digitalization through artificial intelligence, robotic pharmacy, telemedicine, and 3D surgical modeling, supported by a solid framework of public investment and public-private partnerships.
The federal budget for 2025 allocates nearly 8% to health and community protection, about 1.352 billion euros, while strategies like 'Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030' and 'Operation 300bn' promote local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, biotechnology, and medical devices.