Emaar Healthcare Group partners with US-based Methodist International.

Emaar Healthcare Group (EHG), the health care subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, has entered into a strategic partnership with Methodist International (MI), the international subsidiary of The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. The tie-up was the result of EHG's global search for healthcare

specialists with a shared vision for innovation, quality and performance. Through this partnership, EHG and MI envision a differentiated standard of clinical quality and premier services, consistent throughout the network. The multi-year agreement will set the platform for developing worldclass hospitals and healthcare facilities in key markets throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Turkey.

"Emaar Healthcare Group is committed to bringing in the world's best practices in health care through strategic partnerships with international leaders in medical care," said Mr Omar Al Shunnar, Executive Director of Emaar Healthcare Group. "The agreement with Methodist International, one of the world's premier names in health care delivery, underscores our efforts to bring in the best of medical services to the region and Emaar's communities."

"Methodist is committed to providing leading medicine coupled with the finest healing skill, compassion, and respect for human dignity," said Dr Lynn Schroth, Chief Executive Officer of Methodist International. "Building upon a legacy of international patient care, research and education, the Methodist agreement with Emaar Healthcare Group is a dedication to the goal of improving the quality of care around the world by sharing knowledge and experience. This partnership truly brings together two successful and progressive organizations to impact global health care in an unprecedented manner."

While patients and health care providers regularly travel to Houston's world famous Texas Medical Center (TMC) to access the latest in medical advances, the MI partnership with EHG will bring Houston's expertise to the Middle East and beyond. The Methodist Hospital, a founding member of TMC, is regarded as one of America's leading academic medical centers and MI will extend to EHG this recognized management, clinical and business expertise. EHG's healthcare professionals will thus have the opportunity to visit The Methodist hospital in Houston, understand the advances in healthcare delivery, and transfer the knowledge and best practices to medical centres in the MENA region and Turkey.

As part of the agreement, EHG and MI will develop and manage several hospitals throughout the region, and is currently planning to open hospitals in the UAE, Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the next five years. The first of these are the Burj Dubai Medical Centre and clinics in Emaar's Arabian Ranches, The Greens and The Meadows communities, apart from two additional clinics.

The Burj Dubai Medical Centre will be a 61,000 sq ft, premium out-patient facility that will offer the full range of specialities including paediatrics, internal medicine, endocrinology, ophthalmology, nutrition management, dermatology, orthopaedics, cardiology, plastic surgery, dentistry, urology, gastro-enterology, ENT and gynaecology. The Burj Dubai Medical Centre will be supported by state of the art diagnostic tools, and will complement the multi-speciality community based centres in fulfilling their objectives to better serve the needs of the community.

[c] 2008 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)