Healthcare Visionaries: Sherif Beshara, Group CEO, American Hospital Dubai With Sherif Beshara at the helm, American Hospital Dubai has surpassed the traditional healthcare model.

This article is included in our exclusive special edition - Healthcare Visionaries by Entrepreneur Middle East.

For Sherif Beshara, Group CEO of American Hospital Dubai, excellence is not an occasional milestone but a daily discipline. Under his leadership, American Hospital Dubai is not only setting benchmarks in patient care but also shaping the future of healthcare in the region and beyond. "The pursuit of excellence should be a daily habit," Beshara notes. "Once this pursuit becomes part of your core functions, it naturally integrates into your performance."

With Beshara at the helm, American Hospital Dubai has surpassed the traditional healthcare model. He explains that the hospital functions in line with a future-ready, comprehensive approach that shows a thorough understanding of the vital role healthcare must play in building communities, supporting the UAE nation, and helping individuals achieve their health and well-being goals. In essence, American Hospital Dubai adheres to the principle of creating asset synergies to support its commitment to patient-centered care.

"Asset synergies involve integrating core assets to operate an efficient and ethical organization: top-quality human resources, knowledge and capabilities, technology integration with infrastructure, investment in innovation, sustainability practices, and service excellence," Beshara explains.

In a knowledge-driven economy like the UAE, home to one of the GCC's most competitive education sectors, education is more than an asset; it is a necessity. For Beshara, ensuring continuous learning stands among his core responsibilities at American Hospital Dubai. "We have made a deliberate choice to promote medical knowledge and enhance medical professionalism in the UAE and the region, and aim to support the development of the next generation of healthcare leaders in the country," he says.

Source: American Hospital Dubai

To put this belief into practice, the hospital launched its educational arm - American Hospital Academic Institute (AHAI) - to develop talented medical staff in the UAE. It has trained over 500 professionals to date. The Institute is affiliated with leading medical schools in the UAE, including the University of Sharjah, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Gulf Medical University, empowering young talent to build a career in the healthcare sector. Beshara adds, "We are also establishing a medical college in central Dubai through a memorandum of understanding with the prestigious Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and developing the UAE's first Doctor of Medicine (MD) program."

Equally central is Beshara's drive for innovation. He views it as a crucial force shaping the evolution of healthcare, an outlook that led the hospital, in 2020, to establish the region's first AI-driven research center in partnership with Cerner. "The UAE aims for high AI literacy, and its 2031 National AI Strategy includes core research and AI-driven innovations across various sectors. American Hospital Dubai was among the first in the region to acknowledge the importance of practising AI- led predictive medicine."

Plus, in 2021, American Hospital Dubai established the first robotic surgical training hub for the MEA region in partnership with Robotic Surgical Systems (RSS) and the UK-based CMR Surgicals, launching the region's inaugural robotic surgery training hub and educational academy. "Robotic surgeries are the emerging frontier in medicine," Beshara says. "We were the first private hospital in the UAE to introduce the da Vinci robotic system and are the region's first private healthcare facility to receive accreditation from the US-based surgical review corporation (SRC)."

Another vital sector driving the UAE's healthcare prominence is medical tourism. Medical tourism is another key pillar cementing the UAE's position as a regional healthcare leader, with the sector projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% over the next decade to reach US$2.2 billion by 2033. Aligned with this vision, American Hospital Dubai plays a pivotal role as a committed partner in advancing the nation's medical tourism ambitions. "We have a proven track record in this field," Beshara points out. "We maintain medical tourism representative offices in Nigeria and Kenya, and have led the AHD Global Initiative international medical tourism campaign in capitals such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, Milan, and Barcelona, promoting Dubai as a medical tourism destination."

However, Beshara believes that the UAE's healthcare leaders carry not only a regional but also a global responsibility. In his view, American Hospital Dubai must not simply follow trends but set them—by continuously accelerating performance improvements that ultimately raise the standard of care for patients everywhere. "Everything depends on purpose," he explains. "What is the purpose of a healthcare provider? To ensure they deliver effective healthcare that improves people's lives and empowers them to stay healthy. The more we achieve this goal through continuous improvement of performance, the higher the standards we set for the global healthcare industry."

In achieving this goal, American Hospital Dubai follows three core practices - Human expertise for people, Innovation for people, and Performance for people. "We base our growth and progress on these principles," Beshara says. "Innovation broadens the scope of improved patient care, and technology makes innovation a reality. Human expertise is the glue that binds innovation and technology, that makes the delivery of best outcomes for patients a reality." As part of this mandate, the hospital has established Centers of Excellence in key fields, including cancer, heart diseases, orthopedics, diabetes, and robotic surgeries, which all set the standard in complex disease management. Beshara adds, "We also prioritize education and mentoring medical professionals to raise medical standards, thereby contributing to improved patient care."

In addition, American Hospital Dubai's American Hospital Care Network (AHCN) provides third-party management services to other healthcare providers and facilities. "We are the first hospital in the Middle East to implement this concept of knowledge sharing and mentoring to promote excellence in healthcare practices," Beshara says. "This further demonstrates our commitment to expanding the circle of benefits for individuals receiving quality healthcare from highly trained medical professionals."

Another crucial element in improving global industry standards is forming partnerships or collaborations with the world's leading healthcare providers and innovators. To that end, Beshara says that American Hospital Dubai is a proud member of the Mayo Clinic Member Network. "Our collaboration enables us to translate medical breakthroughs into better patient care," he says. "Ultimately, industry standards are set when you draw the roadmap and lead the way."

Through his drive to elevate healthcare standards worldwide, Beshara's leadership at American Hospital Dubai is also reinforcing Dubai's rise as a global hub for medical excellence. "Over a decade ago, Dubai demonstrated foresight by shaping and implementing policies to transform its healthcare sector into a thriving hub of world-class medical services," he says. "Offering high-quality medical care as a national priority establishes a legacy of healthcare excellence and encourages growth in medical tourism."

Beshara reiterates that American Hospital Dubai has consistently contributed to Dubai's medical tourism objectives through its medical tourism representative offices in Lagos, Nigeria, and Nairobi, Kenya, along with a plan to expand to 30 offices across Europe and Africa. "Endorsed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), our overseas offices enable patients to access high-quality medical services and innovative healthcare at American Hospital Dubai," he says. "The expansion showcases our dedication as partners in the esteemed Dubai Health Experience (DXH) brand, which has enhanced the emirate's global reputation for medical excellence." The hospital's latest medical tourism project was the AHD Global Initiative, an international media tour that showcased how private healthcare providers can align their mission with the government's vision to reach national goals. "We launched the AHD Global Initiative as the region's most innovative international medical tourism drive," Beshara explains. "The initiative visited major capitals, including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, Milan, and Barcelona, highlighting Dubai's premium medical facilities and American Hospital Dubai's state-of-the-art, patient-focused healthcare, which has established it as a regional leader in medical excellence."

The global campaign integrated the people-to-people aspect by involving celebrity influencers to foster a stronger connection through engagement and communication, making the relationship more personal, receptive, and inclusive. It also included lucky draws for 14 followers of the celebrity influencers, giving them a chance to participate and learn about American Hospital Dubai's support for Dubai's mission to offer world-class healthcare to all. Even as he champions continuous improvement, Beshara remains clear-eyed about the obstacles that lie ahead.

Asked about the most pressing challenges facing the healthcare sector in the Middle East, and how American Hospital Dubai is addressing them, he points to handling disruptions, managing healthcare expenditure and public health needs, capacity building and healthcare talent retention, and the necessity to invest in research and innovation, which encompasses AI. Beshara adds, "There are also realities such as population growth, increasing rates of chronic illness, and demographic changes that have caused a fundamental shift in how healthcare must function. We are living in an era characterized by technological progress in medicine, including wearables, telemedicine, and personalized medicine, alongside breakthroughs in gene therapies, regenerative medicine, and robotic surgery."

Source: American Hospital Dubai

In this context, Beshara underscores the importance of governments and policymakers adopting a holistic approach, one that integrates more effective regulatory policies, greater investment in infrastructure, and deeper public-private collaboration to drive sustainable solutions. "For example, in the mental health sector, which has gained prominence after the COVID-19 pandemic, the GCC has 2.6 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, compared to 16 per 1,000,000 in the US, according to an Alpen Capital 2025 report," he explains. "According to Knight Frank's 'Mental Health: The Business Case for Facilities in the Middle East,' the UAE has 5.3 psychiatrists per 1,000,000. population, compared to 19.2 psychiatrists per 100,000 population in the UK."

The overall aim - Beshara advises - should be to define strategy, develop cross-sector solutions involving innovators, healthcare entities, scientists, and researchers, build human capabilities through education, training, and upskilling, and implement policies for skill retention. "It is equally important to promote a research culture. Governments must encourage and incentivize research in the public and academic sectors through mutually beneficial strategic alliances," he adds. "Collaboration in healthcare functions as a catalyst. The UAE actively partners with many countries to develop inclusive solutions."

Beshara's leadership journey was shaped by years in the legal field. He held roles ranging from Legal Counsel to Chairman to Group CEO. His philosophy of harmony aligns purpose, people, and performance. "Once purpose is clearly defined, it becomes the driving force that inspires people and elevates performance in pursuit of that shared vision," he says. "While purpose is the starting point, you must deliver results. It's the finish line, and if you don't reach it, you've lost momentum. Leadership involves sustaining that momentum to achieve the results you desire for your organization."

For Beshara, results go far beyond financial performance. To him, true success is defined by a fully motivated workforce, efficient processes, demonstrable ethics, benchmark standards of care, and a culture of compassion. These priorities, he argues, are what ultimately foster sustainable profit, making it essential to get them right. It's within this context that he reflects on the challenge every leader faces: striking a balance between immediate operational demands and long-term strategic growth. "Although some may believe otherwise, the two concepts are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they are interconnected," he says. "Daily operational efficiencies provide the foundation for achieving strategic growth; it's essential to make the synergy between them a routine practice, but you must also master the balancing act."

He notes that the key lies in knowing when to pivot, staying focused on the long-term goal while remaining flexible, market-aware, and resource-efficient in the approach.

At American Hospital Dubai, this mindset translates into resilient decision-making, ensuring the organization can adapt to change without losing sight of its larger vision. 'For example, we follow the double investment principle: we have partnered with Oracle and Cerner to digitize comprehensively for seamless workflow processes that save time, which we then invest in strategic thinking. It's a good example of how our employees stay focused on the big picture while achieving daily operational efficiencies," Beshara explains. "Our Service Excellence Program demonstrates how we achieve daily operational efficiencies while maintaining our focus on the long-term goal."

The program is grounded in five core values—humility, empathy, advisory, reliability, and teamwork, which allows American Hospital Dubai to develop a culture of accountability that extends far beyond day-to-day performance. "This framework not only ensures the delivery of exceptional care to patients, customers, and stakeholders, but also reinforces the hospital's long-term commitment to shaping the future of healthcare in Dubai and beyond," Beshara concludes. "It holds us accountable not only to meet our customers' expectations every day, but also to fulfill our commitment to our long-term objectives."

'TREP TALK: American Hospital Dubai Group CEO SHERIF BESHARA'S Advice on Leadership

"There is a timeless symbiosis in leadership: you only grow as a leader if you develop your team. There is no 'either or' here. Instead, it's a now-or-never situation. Technology, AI, organizational charts, market trends, geopolitical shifts, and socio-economic disruptors, these will continue to shape-shift. These are the variables, and you must stay on top of them. However, there are also constants: people skills, intuition, inclusivity, empathy, inspiration, and ethics. These qualities are always present and relevant, and you must possess them. There is no trade-off between variables and constants. Recognizing this truth is the first step to understanding the unique combination of leadership that will work for you and your organization. Every era in history has its own imperatives. The 21st century presents challenges unique to its era, so leadership must be shaped to address these challenges."