Abu Dhabi: US-based DNA Health Corp. has signed a leasing agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development ‘&’ Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of Saadiyat Island, to establish an integrative medicine and wellness centre within The Collection retail complex at the five-star St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort Abu Dhabi.
Affiliated with the GW Center for Integrative Medicine in Washington DC, Saadiyat Island’s DNA Center for Integrative Medicine ‘&’ Wellness’ is due to open Q1 2013. Designed as the company’s global flagship, the centre will offer a new model of family health care based on a holistic approach uniting leading-edge Western medicine advanced diagnostics and cellular therapies complemented by Eastern alternative modalities.
“Our vision has been to create a state-of-the-art centre of excellence for health and wellness in the United Arab Emirates, providing the highest level of US healthcare protocols for lifestyle, anti-aging and the treatment of chronic disease,” said Dr Nasim Ashraf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DNA Health Corp. USA.
“Abu Dhabi has been the pivot of that vision from inception, as a destination of distinction that truly reflects our company ethos. It is our aim to contribute to establishing Abu Dhabi as a leading global wellness tourism destination with the opening of this clinic, through working closely with Abu Dhabi Tourism ‘&’ Culture Authority.” Currently a US$100 billion industry, global wellness and health tourism is projected to grow to US$1 trillion within the next decade. A recent survey of GCC residents revealed that more than 60 percent of respondents preferred an integrative approach to medical treatments where high quality Western standards were complemented by wellness and alternative therapy programmes at a luxury destination.
Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island is a pristine, natural island lying just 500 metres off the UAE capital’s coast and is being developed by TDIC into one of the world’s leading residential, cultural and tourism destinations. Saadiyat’s master plan includes the Cultural District, envisioned to become a significant global arts hub featuring premier cultural institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum.
“TDIC would like to welcome DNA Health Corp. to Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat,” said Sultan Al Mahmood, Executive Director, Strategic Performance, TDIC. “The island is the ideal location for a wellness centre of this calibre. Its stunning natural environment, crystal clear turquoise waters and nine kilometre long white sand beach make it the perfect destination to seek healing, rejuvenation and to replenish the spirit.”