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Bringing together 120 professionals, Dubai Health Launches Youth Council to Engage Young Emiratis in Shaping the Future of Healthcare
07 Sep 2026
Dubai Health has launched the Dubai Health Youth Council, creating a platform for young Emirati professionals to share their perspectives, bring forward new ideas, support Dubai Health’s strategic priorities and play an active role in shaping the future of healthcare.
Marking the start of the Council’s work, Dubai Health brought together 120 young Emiratis for its first youth retreat, titled “The Ball is in Your Court”. The retreat gave participants from different areas and specialties across Dubai Health the opportunity to share their aspirations, and help shape the Council’s future agenda. Working together, participants explored opportunities to contribute to Dubai Health’s priorities and healthcare development.
Inspired by padel, a sport built around quick thinking, teamwork and responding to what comes your way, “The Ball is in Your Court” encouraged participants to take ownership of their ideas and consider how they could turn them into practical initiatives.
Empowering young Emirati talent
His Excellency Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health, said: “Our youth have an important role to play in shaping the future of healthcare. They are partners in decision-making and in driving development and innovation. The launch of the Dubai Health Youth Council reflects our commitment to empowering young Emirati talent, giving them the space to share their perspectives and turn ideas into action. Our first retreat brought this to life, bringing professionals from across our system to explore how they can contribute to Dubai Health’s priorities and the future of health”.
He added: “Guided by the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ‘Our youth are the secret to UAE's development,’ we look forward to seeing the Council grow into an incubator of creativity, fostering ideas, building leadership capabilities and encouraging collaboration to advance health for humanity”.
Nine Youth Council members
The inaugural Dubai Health Youth Council comprises nine young Emirati professionals representing different areas of Dubai Health’s integrated academic health system.
Their backgrounds span medicine, nursing, clinical administration, engineering, strategy, project management, institutional performance, philanthropy and partnerships, and design thinking. This diversity will bring different viewpoints to the Council’s work and encourage collaboration across Care, Learning, Discovery and Giving.
The Council is chaired by Mariyam Essa Alblooshi, Neurosurgery Resident, and includes Ahmad Marwan Al Zarooni, Senior Manager, Fundraising & Business Development at Al Jalila Foundation; Hamda Ghalib Almahri, Senior Project Manager at MBRU; Mohammed Maher Ahli, Project Manager in the Office of the Chief Clinical Officer; Maitha Ibrahim Bani Hammad, Engineer in the Project Management and Operations Office; Mohammad Fuad Bukhash, Project Coordinator at the Project Management Office; Mohammed Saleh Alabdouli, Cardiology Nurse; Khalifa Abdullah Al Muhairi, Dermatology Resident; and Maryam Mohammad Alhathboor, Project Coordinator at the Project Management Office.
Members were selected based on criteria including their academic backgrounds, contributions and initiatives within the workplace and community, leadership capabilities, ability to participate in constructive dialogue and work collaboratively, in addition to meeting the nomination requirements approved by the Federal Youth Authority.
Established in alignment with the Federal Youth Authority’s vision to enable young Emiratis to serve their nation and shape the future, the Council will create opportunities to engage with leadership and contribute to impactful initiatives.
Parkin and Dubai Health Improve Parking Experience Through a Smart Parking Management System
Parkin Company PJSC, Dubai’s largest provider of paid public parking facilities and services, has entered into an agreement with Dubai Health to implement a smart parking management system across Dubai Health facilities, aimed at providing patients and visitors with an easier and more seamless experience. The first phase of the system will be implemented at Rashid Hospital starting September 21, 2026.
Parkin will oversee the end-to-end management of parking operations, deploying advanced digital technologies and leveraging insights from on-ground operations to optimise parking and continuously improve the overall customer experience across Dubai Health facilities.
Patients will continue to receive free parking for the duration of their visit, including those receiving emergency care, attending consultations or laboratory appointments, accessing walk-in services, or undergoing ongoing treatment.
Patient visitors will receive up to three hours of free parking once per day upon providing patient details at the hospital reception. Two companions for admitted patients will have access to free parking for up to 24 hours, with extensions available as required.
People of Determination, senior citizens and pregnant women will continue to benefit from complimentary valet parking following eligibility verification. Hospital staff and authorised vehicles will be registered within the system to ensure seamless access.
Standard parking fees will apply to those not visiting Dubai Health facilities, with a 30-minute grace period per day to facilitate pick-ups and drop-offs.
Khalifa Baqer, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Health said, “At Dubai Health, every touchpoint of the patient journey matters, from the moment a patient arrives at our facilities to the moment they leave, in line with our Patient First promise. This collaboration reflects our commitment to listening to feedback from patients and visitors and continuously improving their experience, ensuring convenient parking through smart digital solutions for those we are privileged to serve.”
He added: “We thank Parkin for their collaboration and look forward to continuing our work together to better serve our patients and community.”
Commenting on the partnership, Eng. Osama Hashim Alsafi, Chief Operating Officer of Parkin, said: "Our partnership with Dubai Health reflects our shared commitment to enhancing the experience of patients and visitors through smarter, more efficient mobility solutions. Medical facilities require exceptional reliability and ease of access, and by deploying Parkin’s state-of-the-art parking management technology at Dubai Health facilities, we aim to reduce congestion, optimise space utilisation and enhance the arrival experience, while keeping patients at the centre of the service.”
For added convenience, optional services at the site will include valet parking, car wash services, and electric vehicle charging, supporting a more seamless experience for patients and visitors.
Dubai Health’s Youth Programs Aim to Empower a New Generation of Healthcare Changemakers
Dubai Health has launched its youth programs to inspire the next generation of healthcare changemakers. Engaging students from school age to university level, the ‘Dream-It, Dubai-it’ and Summer Training program reflect Dubai Health’s commitment to youth development, aligning with the National Youth Agenda 2031 and the UAE’s wider commitment to youth empowerment.
The programs were launched at Emirates Towers, in the presence of His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Eter, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Projects, Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office, and Director General of The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; His Excellency Saeed Al Nazari, CEO of The Development Office, Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health and President of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), and other senior executives from Dubai Health.
Inspired by the Dubai-It initiative, Dubai Health’s ‘Dream it, Dubai-it’ program welcomes children aged 10 to 13 into a two-week summer experience of medical robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, virtual reality, creative workshops, and site visits that inspire them to create solutions that can shape the future of health. This summer, 50 children representing 10 nationalities will take part.
Dr. Amer Sharif, said, “Guided by our leadership’s vision to empower youth to become changemakers, Dubai Health is committed to providing impactful initiatives that open new avenues for learning and hands-on experience, enabling young people to develop their skills and gain first-hand insight into our integrated academic health system”.
He added, “By providing them with opportunities to explore various disciplines and emerging technologies, we continue to contribute to developing a new generation of talent capable of driving innovation and advancing health for humanity”.
The Summer Training program is a four-week immersive experience designed for students from Grade 11 and above, including those enrolled at university. It provides participants with hands-on exposure across Dubai Health's facilities and departments, fostering professional, interpersonal, and communication skills through supervised projects and direct engagement with healthcare operations.