Medical tourism in the GCC: if demand is rising, why are patients still leaving?

Medical tourism across the GCC is growing fast. The market is now estimated at USD 3–4 billion and continues to expand as patients seek aesthetics, orthopaedics, oncology, complex surgery, and specialised care.

The region has invested heavily in hospitals, doctors, and regulation. On paper, the capability is here.

Yet many patients still travel abroad — to India, Germany, Thailand, and the UK.

That gap raises an important question. The issue isn’t awareness.And it isn’t infrastructure.

It’s how medical tourism is organised and delivered.

From our work at SURGE Growth Partners, patients who travel for care are looking for three things:

• Confidence in outcomes

• Clear coordination before and after treatment

• Assurance that insurance and approvals won’t become obstacles

Health insurance matters more than many providers realise. Patients want clarity on coverage, pre-authorisation, follow-up care, and continuity once they return home. When insurance processes are unclear or treated as exceptions, patients choose certainty elsewhere.

Hospitals that do well in medical tourism treat it as a proper service line, not a side initiative. Clinical ownership is clear. Patient journeys are planned end-to-end. Insurance, operations, and clinicians work together — not in silos.

Those providers build trust, repeat referrals, and predictable volumes.

Medical tourism will continue to grow in the GCC.But the next phase will favour organisations that focus less on promotion and more on execution.

That’s what ultimately moves the needle