HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the US$108.9m Saudi German hospital in Dubai on Monday. During an inspection of the hospital, which aims to become a hub for ‘health tourists’ in the region, Sheikh Mohammed said that he welcomed local, Arab and foreign investment into Dubai’s healthcare sector. He added that healthcare tourism would receive strong focus from his emirate’s government, as well as other relevant national authorities. “We have chosen Dubai as our destination of choice for our new hospital venture because of its phenomenal achievements in the medical industry and also its impeccable reputation as a prestigious hub that attracts some of the world’s best talent,” Sohbi Batterjee, CEO and chairman of the Saudi German Hospitals Group, said. He added that the 100,000m2 facility was part of a plan to establish 30 new healthcare facilities and create more than 50,000 jobs in by 2015. Furthermore, he added that the group would look to institute five medical colleges by 2020. Batterjee said it is the largest private hospital in the Middle East and North Africa region,  and that it has been designed to aims to provide medical expertise in accordance to the highest global standards. “We at the Saudi German Hospital are working to make this operation the showcase of the group in the UAE. I can confidently say that this hospital will be a dominant player in the private health care industry of the region and attract patients from across the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” he said.