UAE industry leaders discuss how resilience helps firms in AI, healthcare, defence grow

UAE companies are turning resilience, technological innovation and the country’s fast-moving business environment into a competitive advantage as they expand internationally, senior executives said during an Investopia panel titled 'UAE Global Champions in the New Economy'.

The discussion brought together Shaista Asif, Group CEO of PureHealth; Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE; and Bishoy Azmy, Group CEO of Innovo. The session was moderated by Dr Jean Fares, CEO of Investopia.

Shaista Asif, Group CEO of PureHealth, said resilience has been central to the healthcare group’s growth, highlighting the importance of human capital in building organisations capable of navigating crises and uncertainty.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

“There’s absolutely no way to have an organisation which is capable of taking any blows without having the right human capital,” Asif said.

She said PureHealth’s journey has focused on expanding its footprint while developing the technology and capabilities needed to address changing healthcare needs.

Asif said the UAE provided the environment needed for the company to pursue ideas around longevity and technology-enabled healthcare that were considered ambitious when the company began its journey.

She said it has grown from around 50 employees in 2006 to 52,000 globally, as the group moved from adopting technology to developing solutions that can be exported internationally.

“We started here, we recognised the global problem,” Asif said, adding that technology could help tackle challenges including ageing populations and access to affordable healthcare.

Global expansion requires local understanding

Asif said PureHealth’s international expansion has largely been driven by acquisitions, including healthcare businesses in the UK, Greece and Cyprus.

But acquiring companies is only the beginning, she said, stressing that successful global expansion requires understanding local regulations, culture, values and talent.

“A truly global company, it belongs in many countries,” Asif said, arguing that businesses must identify with and adapt to the markets in which they operate rather than simply impose a model developed elsewhere.

Defence needs to adapt quickly

Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE, said resilience in defence and advanced technology requires the ability to adapt rapidly to changing threats, supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical developments.

He stressed that sovereignty should not be confused with isolation, with international partnerships playing an important role in strengthening technological capabilities.

Al Marar described the firm as a technology group operating beyond traditional defence hardware, with capabilities spanning areas including cyber, intelligence and space.

Al Marar said EDGE’s international partnerships and investments have helped accelerate product development, shorten time to market and increase the group’s global reach.

He said exports now account for more than 70 per cent year-on-year, describing the figure as evidence that the group’s products and solutions are gaining international trust.

EDGE employs around 20,000 people, including close to 6,000 engineers, he added, highlighting the UAE’s ability to attract skilled professionals from around the world.

Al Marar said EDGE evaluates international opportunities based on how they can accelerate delivery, strengthen technology and open access to new markets.

He pointed to the group’s international presence across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia, saying partnerships and acquisitions can allow companies to combine capabilities and reach customers faster.

Robotics to boost construction productivity

Bishoy Azmy, Group CEO of Innovo, said construction has historically suffered from low productivity compared with other industries, creating significant room for technological disruption.

Azmy said Innovo was established with innovation at the heart of its strategy and benefited from operating in the UAE, where businesses can adopt new technologies with relatively little red tape.

He said the company has successfully shifted 13 cranes to robotic operation on one project, reducing human capital requirements by around 20 per cent and generating additional operational savings.

Azmy said the UAE construction sector is moving into a new cycle as demand broadens from real estate towards infrastructure.

After several years of rapid property development across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates, he said companies are adapting to growing infrastructure requirements linked to the UAE’s wider economic ambitions.

UAE experience gives companies an edge abroad

Azmy said one of the biggest competitive advantages for UAE construction companies is the scale and speed of development they have experienced at home.

He said delivering major projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi gives UAE companies confidence when entering markets where planning and construction can take significantly longer.

The UAE’s open market also means local companies have learned to compete directly with some of the world’s largest international construction groups, he added.

Concluding the discussion, Dr Jean Fares, CEO of Investopia and moderator of the panel, said the experiences of the three companies showed that resilience should not simply be viewed as a defensive mechanism.

Instead, he said, resilience is about the ability to absorb shocks, adapt, identify opportunities and emerge stronger qualities that have helped UAE companies develop into global players.

Commentary — The UAE’s next wealth advantage: Turning resilience into opportunity

UAE shifts from talent outpost to global career destination, experts say

Abu Dhabi to invest Dh300 billion in power, water resilience, reveals UAE official