At the heart of World Health Expo 2026 (formerly Arab Health), one of the world’s foremost healthcare exhibitions, Saudi German Health (SGH) and Mayo Clinic convened a senior leadership session to examine how global medical expertise and regional healthcare delivery models can work together to strengthen healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes across the region.
The high-level session reflected a broader shift in healthcare towards more connected, collaborative models, where institutions move beyond traditional boundaries to share knowledge and apply international best practices within regional care settings. Discussions focused on how such collaboration can support more consistent clinical decision-making, strengthen standards of care and enhance system-wide resilience in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.
Titled ‘When Medicine Thinks Together: The Next Era of Healthcare,’ the session brought together senior executives from both organizations to explore how cross-border collaboration can help address complex clinical and operational challenges, while keeping patient safety and quality firmly at the centre of care delivery.
Bridging Global Expertise and Regional Impact,
Dr. Ahmed Eissa, Group CEO, Saudi German Health UAE, emphasized that the future of healthcare is increasingly defined by connectivity. “The future of healthcare depends on meaningful collaboration,” Dr. Eissa said. “By connecting our regional healthcare network with global medical expertise, we ensure that clinical decisions across our system are informed by international experience while remaining responsive to regional needs.”
The session also highlighted the importance of aligning regional insight with global standards to support the responsible adoption of innovation. Dr. Mohamed Hablas, Regional Director – North Africa, Saudi German Health noted that such alignment helps shorten the pathway between research and patient care.
“When regional experience is aligned with global knowledge, innovation can be translated into patient care more efficiently and with greater precision,” he said.
Building Collaborative Care at Scale
From Mayo Clinic International, Biju Samkutty, Chief operating officer, highlighted the role of strategic collaborations in delivering high-quality care across geographies.
“Strong collaborations enable medical knowledge to be shared and applied consistently,” Samkutty said. “Working with regional healthcare leaders who share a commitment to patient-centered care helps ensure quality and safety remain central, regardless of location.”
Sarah Staal, Vice president of global operations & enablement at Mayo Clinic International, added that successful collaboration depends on operational trust, aligned processes and a shared commitment to continuous improvement across institutions operating in different regions.
The leadership session formed part of WHX 2026’s broader focus on healthcare system resilience, innovation and international cooperation. The discussion reinforced a shared view that sustainable progress in healthcare is increasingly driven by how institutions work together across borders to better serve patients throughout the region.
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