Medical tourists go to Dubai for cosmetic surgery

Medical tourism to Dubai is on the rise, particularly for cosmetic surgery. According to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) this is down to various campaigns and initiatives that were aimed at the cosmetic surgery sector.

Medical tourism to Dubai is on the rise, particularly for cosmetic surgery, hospitals report. At one hospital, more than a quarter of patients during the summer months this year have been from outside the Gulf.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital is one of several hospitals that have designed special cosmetic surgery packages to attract medical tourists. 27% of patients who visited the hospital during summer were from outside the GCC and Middle East and North Africa regions, with 35% travelling from within the Middle East and the rest from the GCC.

The most popular surgical procedures were liposuction, which made up 45% of cosmetic procedures carried out between June and August, followed by breast surgery (31%) and body lift surgery (10%).

There was also a surge in non-surgical treatment, with dermal fillers making up 32% of all non-surgical treatment carried out between March and June. And non-invasive body contouring and cellulite reduction treatment made up 25% of treatment; Botox made up 24 %, facial rejuvenation laser treatment 13%, and laser hair removal 6%.

The Dubai Health Authority attributed the increase in numbers to various initiatives, in particular its ‘Be Beautiful in Dubai’ campaign launched in June and is a direct promotion of the emirate’s cosmetic surgery sector, which the DHA says is growing by 12% to 15% each year.

Cosmetic surgery tourism packages offered by Dubai include, visa, accommodation and insurance – although not the cost of the actual procedure.