PureHealth, the largest healthcare site in the UAE, has already finalised its third big acquisition of the year by acquiring Hellenic Healthcare Group, the biggest and largest private healthcare provider in Greece and Cyprus, at a valuation of 2.56 billion.

It is a historic deal that was announced today, and it is a big step towards the goal of PureHealth to create a diversified global portfolio, which combines Middle Eastern innovation with European operational excellence.

With increasing global healthcare needs due to the growing ageing populations and new technology, the acquisition makes PureHealth a force to reckon with in the Mediterranean basin that guarantees better service provision and cross-border synergies.

Deal Highlights: A Strategic Jump to Europe

The acquisition will include the vast amount of Hellenic with 26 hospitals, 14 clinics and more than 5,000 beds in Greece and Cyprus and serving in excess of 2 million patients each year. The highest price of 2.56 billion dollars is the valuation of 12 times EBITDA on the basis of strong growth prospects of Hellenic with annual revenue growth rates of 15 per cent and its central position in the regional telemedicine and specialised care.

These assets will be incorporated into the integrated healthcare branch of Abu Dhabi, known as PureHealth, working under the global brand of Abu Dhabi, using its AI-driven diagnostics and proactive health platforms to modernise operations.

The acquisition is based on the aggressive growth strategy of PureHealth, such as its previous acquisitions of insurer Daman and Spanish diagnostics company OncoDNA. The deal to sell Hellenic is set to be closed by Q1 2026 on the condition that the regulatory approvals are granted by both the Greek and Cypriot authorities.

It is not only buying assets but creating a connection between the visionary form of healthcare in the Gulf and the established infrastructure in Europe, as a PureHealth executive put it. In its integration, it will focus on digital health upgrades, including the implementation of cloud-based patient management systems offered by PureHealth to streamline operations and cut down on wait time by up to 30.

The Growth Trajectory of PureHealth: Regional Dominance to the Global Competitor

Purehealth was formed as a domestic provider in 2006 and reorganised under ADQ in 2021 to become a 40 per cent market leader of health insurance in the UAE, with a valuation of 10 billion.

Its ecosystem covers hospitals such as the Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, laboratories through SEHA and wellness programs through The LifeCo. As its revenues have reached AED 25 billion in 2024, the company has made significant investments in genomics and precision medicine in collaboration with such global companies as Siemens Healthineers to provide the latest imaging technology.

The Hellenic acquisition is consistent with the PureHealth vision of Health for All, and focuses on the underserved market segments in Europe where the public systems are overwhelmed by the burden of chronic diseases. The healthcare industry in Greece is estimated at EUR25 billion, and by 2030, the country will have a shortage of doctors by 20% and this will give room to private infusion.

PureHealth will invest EUR500 million in three years in facility expansions and staff training, which will be oriented to oncology and cardiology, which is the strong side of the Hellenic. This injection has the potential to increase the EBITDA margins of Hellenic to 15 per cent and attract new UAE patients who require specialised treatments in other countries.

Additionally, the acquisition improves the ability of PureHealth to analyse data. The group will become the first to predict pandemic and lifestyle disease outbreaks by combining the 10 million patient records of Hellenic with the anonymised datasets of its own, which could be licensed to other partners in the EU. Analysts have predicted the acquisition will contribute AED 3 billion to the topline of PureHealth in the next two years on account of medical flows between Dubai and Athens in tourism.

Implications for the UAE’s Healthcare Ambitions

This deal highlights the shift of the UAE towards healthcare as an economic sector, which is in line with the UAE Centennial 2071 objective of being ranked fifth in the world in terms of healthcare. Abu Dhabi, which is already a medical tourism destination with up to 500,000 visitors annually, will benefit, as will Greece, in terms of mutual patient referrals, Greeks to the UAE to watch the latest robotics, Emiratis to the Mediterranean rehab centres. It strengthens bilateral relations as well, as the UAE-Greece Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed in 2023, and the bilateral trade doubled to EUR5 billion.

On the sustainability side, PureHealth has an obligation to green programs, retrofit of Hellenic facilities with solar panels and energy efficient systems, as it has done with LEED certified hospitals in the UAE. This environmental orientation is in line with EU carbon laws, which puts the group in the green bond issuance environment.

The cultural integration and struggling with labour laws in Greece are also challenges, which can be diminished by the successful experience of PureHealth, which has been able to integrate various acquisitions.

Broader Market Ripples: Reshaping Global Health Investments

The Hellenic is a sign of a Gulf capital inflow in the European healthcare industry, as the UAE investors have invested over 15 billion in the industry since 2023. The other competitors, such as the Dr Sulaiman Al Habib based in Saudi might hasten such activities, which increases consolidation of fragmented markets. To the shareholders, the shares of PureHealth, which is listed on ADX, shot 8% pre-market on the news, which is considered a sign of trust in its 25% CAGR.

With the redesign of care with telemedicine and AI, the increased presence of PureHealth might stimulate the creation of innovations such as cross-continent virtual trials, which would speed up drug development. Analysts applaud the deal as an example of how sovereign funds can integrate profit with social good, which can be a motivator to Qatar and Kuwaiti counterparts.

Where well is health is wealth, the radical move of PureHealth is not only strengthening its empire but also redefining care of high quality and accessibility not just in the country, but in the rest of the world, too. The skyline in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can evoke the image of business, although it is the dynamism of these enterprises that leaves its mark on the human well-being of the UAE.