SGH Group’s project to be be ready by early 2009

The healthcare developer runs five hospitals – four in Saudi Arabia and one in Yemen – with a capacity of 1,500 beds and has invested Dh367m in to each.

Construction of the main hospital building in Dubai has already been completed, said Batterjee.

Meanwhile, the group has signed a deal with the Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) to build five not-for-profit hospitals worth Dh90m in underprivileged parts of the Middle East and Africa.

CCC will share the investment and development costs. GE Healthcare, part of the General Electric Company, has already agreed to support the venture.

The SGH Group plans to build its 50-bed standard hospital model to cover the primary and secondary healthcare needs of the poor and underprivileged.

Quality healthcare services will be provided in return for subsidised fees and the income generated will pay for the maintenance and future expansion of the hospitals.

“Consolidated Contractors Company is a big firm with a presence in several regions,” said Batterjee. “The response of CCC to this SGH Group initiative is an honourable model of how big industry players should return something to their communities.

“CCC and the SGH Group will form a nucleus that other industrial leaders will be encouraged to join, so that we can all repay and serve the communities that have given us a lot.

“We have already received commitments from several international organisations. After we signed an agreement with GE Healthcare, the Islamic Development Bank and the International Financial Corporation confirmed their willingness to take part.”

CCC area general manager Samir Khoury said: “CCC is, and always has been, keen to give back to the community. Teaming up our experience and know-how with those of the SGH Group will enable us to develop the not-for-profit hospitals.

“We are following up discussions between the SGH Group and Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel prizewinner and Managing Director of Grameen Bank, regarding the establishment of a not-for-profit hospital in Bangladesh. In addition, we have initiated discussions to explore the possibility of developing a not-for-profit hospital in Botswana.”

The number

5: The number of hospitals run by healthcare developer Saudi German Hospital Group in Saudi Arabia and Yemen