Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are contending for the crown of medical tourism in the GCC. The UAE has long been recognized for its luxury healthcare facilities, international accreditations, and aggressive marketing to foreign patients. Dubai and Abu Dhabi offer state-of-the-art centers for cosmetic, fertility, and dental services.

Saudi Arabia is investing heavily under Vision 2030 to increase both volume and variety. Expansion of medical cities, plans to facilitate easier medical visas, and investment in specialized centers—oncology, cardiovascular, etc.—are part of a deliberate strategy to attract medical tourists. Meanwhile, promotional campaigns abroad are becoming more visible.

A key differentiator is experience: patient journey, service quality, luxury recovery, language support. The UAE leverages its tourist infrastructure more heavily, with high end hotels, wellness retreats, and post-care leisure. Saudi pushes more on scale, affordability, and achieving economies via public investment.

If you want comparative numbers, market share by country, patient origin data, and projections for how the competition will likely evolve up to 2035, you’ll find them in the GCC Medical Tourism Market Report.