THIS first Hospital Build exhibition and conference opens its doors in Dubai, UAE this month.

Billed as a unique event that will bring investors, commissioners, backers and managers of major healthcare building projects together with planning, design, building, operations, management and suppliers, Hospital Build will run from June 14 to 16 at the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).
There are currently more than 100 hospitals in the planning stage across Middle East and Africa, and while so many industries are feeling the bite of the credit crunch, healthcare projects remain relatively unaffected because of government support and long-term commitment to healthcare infrastructure growth, says IIR Middle East, the event’s organiser. “Approximately $14 billion is being spent in the GCC alone on new hospitals and healthcare facilities,” says Simon Page, group director for life sciences at IIR Middle East.
Burt Hill, one of the world’s largest architecture, engineering, interior design and landscape architecture companies, will be taking part in Hospital Build to showcase its work on Al Mafraq Hospital, one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest hospitals.
Furthermore, the exhibition will host the first Hospital Build Awards, which will recognise and celebrate excellence of healthcare facilities in the Middle East.