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The first edition of WHX Tech 2025, a major new platform for digital health innovation, concluded this week at the Dubai World Trade Centre after three high-impact days that brought together global leaders, start-ups, investors, and policy makers. With over 200 speakers and 300 exhibitors, the event created a collaborative space to explore how technology is transforming the future of healthcare, from smart hospitals and AI diagnostics to femtech and care for displaced populations.
Read more-Dubai goes digital: WHX Tech sets stage for health innovation in AI, policy
The event culminated in the announcement of the Xcelerate start-up competition winner, with one innovative company taking home a $50,000 prize, while conversations around inclusion, equity, and innovation continued across three dynamic stages.
One of the standout features of WHX Tech 2025 was the presence of Dubai Health, a key partner at the event and a leader in regional digital transformation. The organisation used the platform to highlight its most advanced technologies, including AI-enabled pain management, smart hospital rooms, and intelligent electronic medical records.
“Participating in WHX Tech 2025 has been an opportunity to demonstrate how we’re using digital innovation and artificial intelligence to reimagine healthcare,” said Atif Albraiki, Chief Digital & AI Officer at Dubai Health.
“We’re translating technology into smarter, more personalised experiences for patients,” he added. “Just as important has been the opportunity to expand our collaborations with academic, technology, and government partners.”
According to Albraiki, these partnerships are essential to Dubai Health’s mission to become a fully integrated academic health system, driving innovation in care delivery while advancing research and education.
Digital health solutions for displaced populations
On the final day of the event, attention turned to the humanitarian applications of digital health, particularly for displaced and refugee populations. On the Xcelerate Stage, Dr Waheed Arian, a British-Afghan doctor and founder of Arian Wellbeing, gave an emotional presentation rooted in personal experience.
As a child, Arian lived in a refugee camp in Pakistan, where he suffered from tuberculosis, malaria, and malnutrition. He later studied medicine at Cambridge and Harvard before dedicating his career to helping others overcome the same adversities he faced.
“We offer culturally sensitive, language-appropriate mental health services,” Arian said. “For displaced people, trauma doesn’t just happen once, it’s an ongoing experience.”
Arian Wellbeing uses a secure digital platform to connect individuals with clinical support via video, audio, or text. The company’s mission is to deliver trauma-informed care tailored to each individual’s cultural background and lived experience.
“We use agnostic tools and ensure the system is secure, even from surveillance by adverse governments,” he said. “Technology must adapt to meet the realities of the most vulnerable.”
Women lead the charge in health innovation
Another major highlight came from a powerful session on femtech and women-led innovation, where industry leaders discussed how AI and digital solutions are closing the gender gap in healthcare.
Sally Ann Frank, Global Lead in Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft for Startups, spotlighted how AI is helping to improve diagnostic accuracy and access for women worldwide.
“AI is a game-changer for access,” said Frank. “From breast cancer detection tools to biometric screening on smartphones, we’re seeing real transformation.”
Joining her on stage was Dr Professor Selwa A F Al Hazzaa, CEO and founder of SDM, a Saudi-based digital health start-up focused on AI-driven retinal screening. Her work began during the COVID-19 pandemic when she convinced the Saudi Ministry of Health to support the deployment of diabetes detection cameras across rural and underserved communities.
“We told them that diabetes was killing three times as many people as COVID,” said Al Hazzaa. “We started by offering the screening service for free.”
By doing so, SDM was able to collect over 500,000 retinal images and complete 35,000 free exams, achieving nearly 97 per cent sensitivity. The data gathered is now helping to train algorithms to detect not only diabetic retinopathy but also glaucoma, atrial fibrillation, stroke risk, and early signs of Alzheimer’s.
“We’re using international talent as mentors, but our solution is localised,” she said.
“That’s how you make a country grow, you build from within.”
Xcelerate competition crowns groundbreaking AR start-up
A major focal point of WHX Tech 2025 was the Xcelerate Start-Up Competition, the region’s largest pitch contest dedicated to digital health. Throughout the week, 40 high-potential start-ups pitched their solutions in hopes of reaching the final round.
On Day 3, 12 finalists were invited to present to a live audience and an elite judging panel that included UK entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Peter Jones.
The grand prize, a $50,000 Xcelerate Champion of Innovation Award, went to Strolll, an AR-based digital therapeutic solution designed to aid people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
“This win means so much to our team,” said Jorgen Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Strolll. “We just launched in this region a week ago, and the response we’ve had at WHX Tech has been incredible.”
“This is a huge validation of our work in neurorehabilitation,” he added. “It’s also an important step in scaling access to care through technology.”
Two additional companies received recognition:
- Éclateral (UK) won the Xceptional Patient-Centric Innovation Award for o~pal, a portable solution for rapid health testing and disease screening.
- You(th) Healthtech (USA) received the Xtraordinary Early Stage Start-Up Award for its smartphone-based AI tool that extracts health metrics from a simple facial video, measuring vitals like heart rate, oxygen levels, blood pressure, and stress.
WHX Tech 2025: A new global platform takes root
As the event wrapped up, organisers and attendees alike praised WHX Tech for creating a new kind of health tech platform, one focused not just on showcasing innovation but on connecting stakeholders, solving real problems, and inspiring action.
“Seeing the winner crowned of the region’s largest digital health start-up competition was the perfect ending to an amazing three days,” said Sally Thompson, Group Event Director at Informa Markets.
“We’ve had deep conversations with innovators, futurists, investors, and care providers,” she added. “It’s clear that WHX Tech offers something the industry really needs: a space to explore what’s next, and how to get there.”
Held in strategic partnership with HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society), WHX Tech reinforced its credibility by aligning with key industry priorities, such as interoperability, patient-centricity, and AI governance.
With successful launches, valuable partnerships, and exciting start-up breakthroughs, WHX Tech 2025 proved it is not just an exhibition—it’s a launchpad for the next era of digital healthcare.
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