**WHIS & GSPA: A Vision for Preventive Health and Innovation Across the GCC - ***By Gareth Presch & Nooraa Sultan Saqer Al Suwaidi *
As the world faces converging crises — from rising chronic diseases to the accelerating impacts of climate change — the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region holds a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead a global shift toward prevention, wellbeing, and sustainable health innovation.
At the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), in collaboration with the Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA), we believe the UAE and wider GCC can become the anchor of life sciences and preventive health in the region — and a model for the world.
The Global Context: Why This Matters Now
Non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity are skyrocketing across the region. In parallel, urban heatwaves, air pollution, and climate-related stressors are pushing vulnerable populations — especially seniors, labourers, and those with chronic conditions — to the brink.
The cost of inaction is unsustainable. The time to shift from reactive to proactive healthcare is now.
“Health innovation is the foundation for sustainable prosperity. The GCC can lead the world by investing in prevention, wellbeing, and people.” — Gareth Presch, Founder & CEO, WHIS; CEO, GSPA
Why the GCC?
The region is already recognised for its visionary leadership, infrastructure, and global influence. The next step is to position the GCC as a regional headquarters for life sciences, public health innovation, and wellbeing.
By launching a WHIS/GSPA GCC Hub, countries can:
- Catalyse a knowledge and innovation economy rooted in health and wellbeing
- Lead in digital health, climate resilience, and prevention
- Generate tens of thousands of future-ready jobs across health, tech, and tourism
- Elevate their position as global destinations for wellbeing tourism
From Pilot to Global Platform: The WHIS GCC Vision
WHIS, in collaboration with GSPA, will implement a series of targeted, high-impact programmes to address urgent health needs across the region:
- WHISKids – Building emotional resilience in schools
- WHISatWork – Boosting employee wellbeing and reducing burnout
- WHISSeniors – Supporting healthy ageing and preventing falls
- WHISWomen – Strengthening maternal health and family wellbeing
- WHISGreen – Tackling heat stress and building climate-resilient health systems
- WHISTech – Empowering digital health tools and AI-driven triage
- WHISLive – Hosting community-driven health and wellbeing festivals These programmes will be piloted across selected districts in the UAE and neighbouring GCC countries — generating insights, outcomes, and scalable models to be shared regionally and globally.
Unlocking the Diabetes & Climate Health Challenge
With diabetes affecting over 17% of the UAE population and heat-related illnesses on the rise across the region, the WHIS approach is grounded in systems thinking:
- Early screening in schools and workplaces
- Digital lifestyle coaching and support
- Social prescribing: connecting people to community resources
- Climate-smart urban design and heat-health action plans
A Flagship Moment: The GCC Health Innovation & Wellbeing Summit
At the heart of this movement will be an annual WHIS GCC Summit — convening global leaders, innovators, investors, and visionaries to shape the future of health.
From ministers and urban planners to AI developers and wellbeing entrepreneurs, the GCC will become a diplomatic and innovation capital for global health progress.
Redefining Health Tourism
The region is already a magnet for medical tourism. WHIS sees the opportunity to evolve this into a global wellbeing destination:
- Curated wellbeing tourism packages with check-ups, retreats, and coaching
- WHIS-certified hotel experiences with preventive health services
- Partnerships with clinics and hospitals for recovery and rehabilitation journeys
- Nature-based and eco-health excursions to support mind-body healing
A Legacy for the Region — and the World
“This is a defining opportunity for the GCC to shape the future of health — not just regionally, but globally. We are uniting innovation, inclusivity, and wellbeing to create a lasting legacy.” — Nooraa Sultan Saqer Al Suwaidi, Chief Representative GCC
By investing in prevention, climate health, and community wellbeing, the GCC can inspire the world. It’s not only a smart economic strategy — it’s a humanitarian imperative.
Together, WHIS and GSPA are ready to partner with governments, healthcare institutions, and visionary stakeholders to deliver measurable, sustainable impact.
Our Call to Action
We invite:
- National and regional health authorities
- Ministries of Health and Environment
- Universities, hospitals, and private sector innovators
- Investors and foundations seeking high-impact, ESG-aligned outcomes To co-create this bold new future with us.
Let’s establish WHIS GCC. Let’s transform the health of millions. **Let’s lead the world from the Gulf. **
📩 Contact:** Gareth Presch – Founder & CEO, WHIS | gareth@whis.world Noora Al Suwaidi - Principal for Global Strategy and Affairs WHIS in the GC**C