The healthcare scene in the Middle East is rapidly changing, with new technologies and growing populations driving the industry—worth over $3.5 trillion worldwide—and patients increasingly aware of their medical needs. Developments in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates accurately reflect these trends; although each country has incorporated different healthcare approaches into its overall strategy, there is a common denominator among the three approaches. Today, more than ever before, quality standards are demanded by the sector itself, and the patients it treats. The global healthcare landscape shifted dramatically in the late ’90s and the early millennium, as regulating standards for the sector grew increasingly mainstream. Many countries began implementing accreditation programs to improve the safety and quality of healthcare services, which providers were obliged to adopt to stay competitive. “These quality standards are usually developed by a panel of experts in the field and used by accrediting organizations,” explains
