New FemTech Hub in Dubai to address gaps in women’s health

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Women’s Pavilion at Expo City Dubai has launched the FemTech Hub – a pioneering regional initiative advancing women’s health through science, technology, education, innovation and economic empowerment, developed in partnership with Meem Foundation, American Hospital Dubai and PeriCare.

Unveiled at the World Health Expo (WHX) Dubai on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February), the FemTech Hub will address longstanding gaps in women’s health access, knowledge and innovation across the Middle East and beyond through expert-led learning, research-to-market programmes and entrepreneurship support.

The new initiative positions Expo City Dubai at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. The global FemTech industry – representing technologies and solutions to tackle women’s healthcare needs – is projected to quintuple in value from $51 billion in 2023 to almost $267 billion in 2035.

While investment is set to soar, women’s health remains chronically underfunded and underserved. Women are still experiencing difficulty accessing reliable, specialised health information, underscoring the urgent need for trusted, evidence-based platforms.

Marjan Faraidooni, Chief of Education and Culture and Chief of Human Resources, Expo City Dubai, said: “Women’s empowerment is foundational to thriving societies, and addressing the gaps in women’s health is a critical challenge that must be tackled. Through the FemTech Hub, and with Expo City Dubai as a platform for collaboration and innovation, we are bringing together healthcare leaders, innovators and educators to create a safe, credible and forward-looking environment where women’s health can be discussed openly, researched rigorously and advanced meaningfully, generating impact that will have a positive ripple effect across society.”

The partnership model combines expertise across the spectrum of women’s health: Meem Foundation, the UAE-philanthropic foundation championing innovative entrepreneurial solutions to gender inequality; American Hospital Dubai, bringing deep clinical knowledge and a commitment to advancing evidence-based outcomes; and PeriCare, a FemTech innovation studio, leveraging its insights for product design, technology and mother-centric care.

Muna Eisa Al Gurg, Founder, Meem Foundation, said: “The launch of the FemTech Hub reflects our belief that prioritising health is integral to sustainable social change in the lives of women and girls, and will help ensure that safe primary care and greater health awareness for women are no longer a privilege, but a standard.”

Sherif Beshara, Group CEO of American Hospital Dubai, said: “Transformative women’s health innovation starts by listening to women’s lived experiences and supporting wellbeing at every stage of life. This hub is about changing systems and ensuring women’s health innovation has a permanent home in the region.”

Perihan Abouzeid, Founder and CEO of PeriCare, said: “Through the FemTech Hub, we are combining science, technology and design to reimagine maternal and women’s health at every stage of life, ensuring solutions are grounded in evidence, empathy and lived experience.”

The Hub was conceptualised following the significant impact of the FemTech Hackathon – a first-of-its-kind two-day innovation challenge launched by the Women’s Pavilion at Expo City, PeriCare and other partners in 2025, where high school students collaborated using their STEM knowledge to develop solutions for key issues in women’s health and wellbeing.

The FemTech Hub will launch the Hackathon’s second edition in 2026, alongside other initiatives including:

• Her Health Summit: an annual convening of clinicians, scientists, innovators and policymakers
• Her Health Majlis: monthly public sessions offering accessible, stigma-free education
• Innovators Network: connecting FemTech startups, researchers and investors across the region

Over its first year, the FemTech Hub aims to support more than 15 startups, engage upwards of 1,000 women, train 100-plus clinicians, and validate real-world solutions addressing maternal health, fertility, menstrual health, menopause, mental wellbeing and more.

The FemTech Hub is the latest addition to the diverse portfolio of initiatives under the Women’s Pavilion – a platform dedicated to advancing gender equity and women’s empowerment. Originally created as a physical space to amplify women’s voices, it has evolved into a mission-driven ecosystem delivering impact through bold programming, strategic partnerships and storytelling.

Its work now spans how cities are shaped, how wellbeing is supported and how economic opportunity is unlocked – positioning women and girls as leaders of future progress and ensuring they are not only included in conversations about the future, but actively shaping them.