News and Insights

Winning in the Middle East: Why Pharma and Medtech firms need research & data analytics

March 5, 2025

The health sector in the Middle East is undergoing a radical transformation, driven by the UAE’s National Agenda 2031 and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. With billions being invested in AI-driven diagnostics, wearable technology, and telemedicine, the region is quickly establishing itself as a global leader in digital health. However, simply offering innovative solutions isn’t enough. The real challenge for Pharma and MedTech companies lies in effectively navigating this evolving landscape, understanding key stakeholders, and crafting high-impact, data-driven strategies that ensure relevance and competitive advantage.

A digital-first world demands a research-first approach. Companies that harness market intelligence, social listening, and real-time analytics will be best positioned to create targeted, culturally relevant, and effective communication strategies. The follow-up question is: how can firms translate research insights into action.  

Market research: more than just a market entry strategy

Gaining a foothold in the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s health markets requires far more than just securing regulatory approvals and setting up regional offices. Success depends on deeply understanding who the key players are, how the regulatory landscape is shifting, and what patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) truly need.

Consider the fact that Saudi Arabia’s digital health sector is projected to grow to USD 6.8 billion by 2030, with a staggering compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3%. Meanwhile, the UAE has emerged as a pioneer in personalized medicine, investing heavily in genomics and AI-driven health solutions. The scale of these developments presents immense opportunities – but only for companies that align their strategies with the region’s rapidly evolving priorities.

Comprehensive market research offers clarity in this complex environment. It provides insights into who the competitors are, where market gaps exist, and how firms can differentiate themselves. Without this depth of intelligence, companies risk entering the market blindly, investing resources in the wrong areas, or missing crucial opportunities to engage with both regulators and consumers in a meaningful way.

Audience segmentation: a data-driven approach to engagement

The era of one-size-fits-all marketing is over. Today’s consumers, whether they’re patients seeking digital health solutions or HCPs looking for cutting-edge treatments, expect personalized, relevant content that speaks to their specific needs and concerns. In a region where 10.73 million people actively use social media in the UAE alone, audience segmentation is no longer an optional luxury; it’s truly a necessity.

Understanding who your audience is, where they consume information, and how they make healthcare decisions can determine the success or failure of a communications strategy. As outlined in on our FINN Future of Pharma & MedTech Report patients, for example, are increasingly turning to wearable technology, social media forums, and digital health platforms to take charge of their well-being, while at the same time, HCPs engage deeply with scientific content shared on platforms like LinkedIn, research-driven webinars, and industry white papers.

This means that a broad demographic targeting wouldn’t necessarily work for all audiences. Instead, Pharma and MedTech firms must embrace highly customizable and personalized audience analytics to refine their approach, ensuring that the right content reaches the right people through the right channels.

Learning from the best (and the worst): competitive intelligence in action

Our analysis of the digital engagement strategies of leading global Pharma and MedTech brands in the Middle East revealed a stark contrast in effectiveness. Philips, for instance, dominated in visibility, accounting for 63% of owned social media mentions, yet its actual engagement levels remained disproportionately low, suggesting that while the brand was pushing out a high volume of content, much of it was not resonating with its audience.

By contrast, Medtronic, despite having fewer mentions, captured 42% of total engagement, with its success stemming from a more focused, interactive approach, crafting content that encouraged participation rather than simply broadcasting information. Another standout was SPIMACO, which took a localized approach by communicating owned social content exclusively in Arabic, making its content highly relevant and engaging to regional audiences.

These insights underscore a crucial lesson: high visibility alone does not guarantee audience engagement. To drive meaningful impact, companies must prioritize relevance, cultural alignment, and interaction over sheer volume. In a region where credibility and trust are paramount, adopting a localized, research-driven strategy is key to standing out in an increasingly competitive space.

Understanding the bigger picture: industry landscape analysis

Beyond digital marketing and patient engagement, staying ahead of macroeconomic and policy shifts is critical for long-term success, with governments in the region rapidly expanding telemedicine infrastructure, creating new regulatory frameworks for digital health, and actively investing in biotech startups. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is channelling billions into health tech, signaling a major opportunity for global Pharma and MedTech companies to establish strategic partnerships.

Meanwhile, the rise of local health tech disruptors like Altibbi and Okadoc is changing how patients interact with health services, proving that regional innovation is a force to be reckoned with. Companies that fail to integrate regional policy developments, economic shifts, and local competition into their strategic planning risk being left behind.

Social listening & primary research: staying ahead of market sentiment

In a region where health-related conversations are increasingly happening online, social listening is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s an absolute necessity. Patients are openly discussing their health experiences, sharing reviews of treatments, and engaging in community-driven conversations about medical innovations, while doctors, policymakers, and industry leaders are actively participating in digital discussions about the future of healthcare in the region.

Monitoring these conversations provides real-time insights into patient concerns, physician preferences, and emerging industry trends. By combining social listening data with primary research, such as surveys and stakeholder in-depth interviews, Pharma and MedTech companies can refine their PR and communications strategies to be more proactive, relevant, and impactful.

From research to action: a more strategic PR & communications approach

All of this research and data-driven analysis ultimately serves one goal: building a smarter, more effective PR and communications strategy. With deep audience insights and market intelligence, Pharma and MedTech firms can develop messaging that resonates, content that engages, and campaigns that truly move the needle.

Rather than relying on global marketing templates, firms that tailor their approach to the cultural, regulatory, and behavioural dynamics of the UAE will see far greater success. Localized storytelling, influencer collaborations, multilingual content, and patient-centric engagement are just a few ways brands can establish deeper trust and credibility.

Moreover, in an industry where reputation is everything, proactive crisis management, transparent communication, and ethical engagement with stakeholders can mean the difference between building lasting trust or losing credibility overnight.

The future belongs to the data-driven insights

The Middle East is rapidly becoming a global leader in digital health, and the companies that thrive in this market will be those that embrace research, data analytics, and audience intelligence as core components of their strategy; specifically by moving beyond traditional marketing and into a research-driven, hyper-personalized approach, in order to strengthen their market position, create meaningful connections, and drive long-term growth.

Let’s collaborate to transform insights into action – download the full FINN Future of Pharma & MedTech Report and get in touch (joy.livera@finnpartners.com) to explore how we can help craft a tailored market research, data, and analytics-driven strategy that elevates your communications and marketing impact in the Middle East.

The future of healthcare in the Middle East is being written now. The question is: will your company be a part of it?