The new Future X Stage officially opened today at World Health Expo (WHX), marking the launch of a dedicated platform focused on healthcare innovation, emerging technologies and scalable solutions shaping the future of healthcare delivery.

As a core element of the WHX programme, the Future X Stage unites healthcare innovators, investors, startups, healthcare institutions, and industry leaders to explore technologies and solutions that are transitioning from pilot projects to large-scale implementation. Over four days, the stage will feature leadership talks and live demonstrations on innovation, robotics, neuroscience, precision medicine and next-generation care delivery.

WHX is taking place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) from 9-12 February, bringing together an international healthcare exhibition and conference programme. The world’s largest healthcare platform will welcome more than 4,300 exhibitors and is expected to attract over 235,000 professional visits. Continuing Medical Education (CME)-accredited conferences and thought leadership sessions delivered across the Visionary, Future X and Frontiers Stages, addressing the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the global healthcare community.

The opening morning at the Future X Stage focused on the evolving role of technology in clinical environments, patient safety, and public trust, with sessions examining how innovation can be implemented at scale across diverse healthcare systems.

One of the opening sessions explored how Augmented reality and artificial intelligence provided the basis for the opening sessions, as Habeel Gazi, Founder and US Operations Director at HHG Healthcare & Life Sciences Consulting and MedApp S.A, outlined how they are being used to support surgical precision, standardisation and access, he said: “Though robot-assisted surgery tends to get the media buzz, in our view, there is an equally important market for augmented reality and mixed reality surgical navigation solutions incorporating AI for enhanced surgical outcomes. While robot solutions tend to be quite expensive and geared toward complex surgeries, navigation technologies are more likely to be widely adopted and gain share more quickly across a much larger pool of surgeries.”

This was followed by a discussion on how digital operating rooms connect devices, data and surgical teams through centralised platforms, improving workflow efficiency, reducing manual processes and supporting more informed clinical decision-making.

Andreas Hoefler, Senior Director, RIWOlink GmbH – A Richard Wolf Company, said: “The technology is here today, we are connecting clinical workflows, medical devices, data and insights, people and communication, and IT systems. By working closely with our partners, we are boosting surgical time efficiency by 20%, creating 15% faster operating room turnover, and 20% more on-time first cases as well as delivering reliable, consistent data at all times.”

Highlights from Future X across the four-day showcase include Dr Farida Al Hossany, Deputy CEO, GLIDE, discussing how artificial intelligence and digital tools are being applied to disease surveillance and large-scale public health impact; Michelle Ossmann, Director of Research, MillerKnoll, and Deborah Wingler, Global Practice Director, HKS, examining the role of healthcare environment design in addressing nurse burnout; and Tomas Kolar, Chief Executive Officer, LINET, exploring how smart, integrated hospital infrastructure can support patient-centred care amid demographic change and rising demand.

The Future X Stage will also host the Xcelerate startup competition, providing a platform for high-potential early-stage companies to present scalable healthcare solutions to a panel of investors, industry leaders and innovation experts. The Xcelerate Champion of Innovation will be announced on the final day of WHX, with the winning startup receiving a US$25,000 prize.

Ross Williams, Commercial Director, Informa Markets Healthcare, said: “There is real momentum around the launch of the Future X Stage. It brings together innovators, investors, and healthcare leaders at a time when the sector is actively seeking scalable, implementable solutions. We look forward to the conversations, ideas, and collaborations that will emerge over the next four days at WHX, as the global healthcare community comes together to explore the future of care in practice.”

In addition to the headline stages, WHX offers a comprehensive learning programme with a broad portfolio of Continuing Medical Education (CME)-accredited conferences that support lifelong learning and clinical excellence. Conference tracks include General Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Urology, Total Radiology, Public Health, and Quality Management & Patient Safety, reinforcing WHX and Dubai’s role as a global platform for professional development across the healthcare sector.

For more information or to register for the event, please visit  https://www.worldhealthexpo.com/events/healthcare/dubai/en/home.html.