Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Leading clinicians from Priory, a global leader in mental healthcare, will address mental health stigma and its economic impact at Arab Health 2025.

Exhibiting as part of the Harley Street Health District delegation, Priory’s expert clinicians will lead a fireside chat focusing on mental health stigma, its socio-economic implications, and the barriers individuals face in seeking treatment.

The session will take place in the state-of-the-art Surgical Simulation Theatre within the ABHI UK Pavilion.

Key speakers include Dr. Donald Masi, Consultant Psychiatrist, and Steve Clarke, Hospital Director and Psychotherapist, both from Priory Hospital Roehampton. They will discuss the urgent need for change in the region’s approach to mental health care.

Addressing Mental Health Stigma in the Middle East

Mental health stigma continues to deter individuals across the GCC region from seeking help, with 80% of those in Saudi Arabia with severe mental health conditions not accessing treatment. This session will explore:

  • Common misconceptions about mental illness and their societal and economic impact.
  • The economic cost of untreated mental health conditions, such as the $3.5 billion lost annually across the GCC due to productivity issues.
  • Practical strategies, including technology and workplace initiatives, to support long-term recovery.

“Priory has helped thousands of individuals overcome mental health challenges with evidence-based treatments tailored to diverse cultural and personal needs,” said Dr. Donald Masi. “Our participation in Arab Health is an important step towards encouraging open conversations and increasing access to world-class mental healthcare in the Middle East.”

World-Class Expertise and Treatments

Priory is renowned for delivering discreet, patient-centred care through evidence-based treatments. Providing inpatient and outpatient care, key services include:

  • Mental health services – including treatment for depression, anxiety, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Addiction treatment programmes – including treatment for alcohol addiction, drug addiction, gambling addiction, love and sex addiction, internet addiction and shopping addiction
  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS): A cutting-edge therapy for depression and OCD, available at Priory’s Harley Street Wellbeing Centre.

Mental Health Access Challenges in the GCC

Despite growing awareness, barriers such as limited professionals, high treatment costs, and minimal insurance coverage continue to restrict access to mental healthcare in the GCC. For example, the UAE’s psychiatrist-to-population ratio remains significantly lower than in other nations.

Priory seeks to bridge these gaps by offering discreet, high-quality mental health services tailored to meet the needs of Middle Eastern patients.

The fireside chat will be held at the ABHI UK Pavilion, Arab Health 2025, on Monday, 27th January, from 3-4pm (local time). It is an essential event for clinicians, policymakers, and employers seeking to improve mental healthcare access and reduce stigma across the region. 

To register for your session, book your place here.

For more information about Priory and its services, visit www.priorygroup.com/international.

https://www.youtube.com/@Priory_UK 

The ABHI Surgical Simulation Theatre is proudly sponsored by Surgery International, the premier surgery news hub.

About Priory

Priory is the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services. Priory treats more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across its nationwide network of sites. Priory also supports autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.  Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, the leading European provider of high-quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises: Priory in the UK with 290 facilities and 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people, MEDIAN in Germany with 120 facilities and 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients, and Hestia in Spain with 15 facilities and 2,100 beds caring for 11,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees across the Group.

About Harley Street Health District

Located in London’s iconic heart, the Harley Street Health District is a local community with a global pulse; neighbour to both the vibrant Marylebone Village and a thriving knowledge ecosystem. With over a century of history and its sights set firmly on the future, the district is more than a collection of buildings – for partners, it’s a space to co-create the next chapter and for young talent, a platform to flourish.

For more information, visit harleystreethealthdistrict.com.

Media Contact:
Julia Price: julia@juliaprice.co.uk