A pioneering Abu Dhabi health centre is embracing cutting-edge technology in a mission to banish baldness.
Doctors at Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre say treatments which began at the start of the year are already showing promising results for hundreds of people experiencing hair loss.
The high-tech facility is driving innovation in health care to assist patients with a range of life-changing conditions, including cancer and multiple sclerosis, since opening in December 2019.
Now stem cells are being adopted to help halt hair loss – in men and women – and even encourage new growth of folicles.
It is important for patients to not wait long after they have started losing their hair
Dr Antonio Bencomo-Hernandez
Dr Antonio Bencomo-Hernandez, head of laboratory and advanced technology at centre, told The National that results are better for patients who have just started losing their hair.
“Every single day we have about 10 to 15 patients come in for stem cell hair therapy, so we have treated hundreds so far, given that we started this service at the beginning of this year.
"It is important for patients to not wait long after they have started losing their hair.”
Maysoon Al Karam, chief medical officer at the centre, said healthy patients in the early stages of hair loss are likely to benefit the most.
“It is an effective treatment, but it needs to be done in the right clinical setting and protocol," she said.
She said people should be wary of products promising miracle cures.
“Stem cells will not come in a bottle sold at the supermarket,” she said.
“I don’t know what these are but they definitely are not stem cells and it is important for people to not fall for it.”
How does the procedure work?
A few hairs, a maximum of 10, are extracted from the scalp and sent to a laboratory.
At the lab, stem cells are extracted from the hair follicles and processed before being injected back into bald spots.
Within three months, patients will start seeing new hair grow in these sites, doctors said.
They said it is essential that patients do not have any underlying health problems that are causing the hair loss or an unbalanced diet or vitamin deficiency.
If this is the case, these issues may need to be addressed before stem cell treatment can begin.
What is the success rate?
Since the procedure is in its infancy, the centre cannot guarantee the new hair will not fall out in subsequent years.
However, doctors are optimistic and said there has yet to be a case where newly grown hair has fallen out.
Stem cell treatment or traditional hair transplant?
Stem cell hair loss treatment and traditional hair transplants are very different. With traditional transplants, the healthcare provider takes grafts, or small pieces of skin, from parts of the body that contain healthy hair, such as the back of the scalp.
The grafts are then implanted on the hairless parts of the scalp. With stem cell treatments however, processed stem cells – taken from patients few days before – are implanted into the hair follicle so new hair can grow from them.
“The traditional hair transplant is a long procedure,” Dr Al Karam said.
With stem cell hair treatments, there is no recovery period and patients can resume daily activities immediately.
“Our treatment is innovative – women may need three sessions and men usually five sessions with 10 days between each session, but the number of sessions vary from case to case,” Dr Bencomo-Hernandez said.
Each session takes about 20 minutes, in which the stem cells are injected into the scalp. Doctors say the treatment is relatively painless.
The centre did not disclose the cost of individual therapies, but said its aim was to make it affordable to the general public.
"The treatment is personalised and therefore prices vary depending on the patient's clinical status.
"However, the access to this therapy is affordable and represents a better alternative to the high prices of hair transplant with promising results," Dr Al Karam said.
UAE is advancing stem cell therapy
The UAE has made significant strides in stem cell therapy, which is viewed as key to enhancing health care, particularly in cancer treatment and life expectancy.
In 2022, the UAE successfully completed a bone-marrow transplant by using longer-term cryogenic freezing of healthy cells.
Last month, the centre set out plans to become a regional hub in the treatment of diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and end-stage organ failure.
Scientists are working around the clock to use stem cells for repairing and regenerating organs.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
