WHX Dubai 2026: From smart devices to smart systems

The World Health Expo (WHX) 2026 in Dubai has just ended, and it’s clear that this re-energised global event has stepped into its role as the most influential intersection of medical technology, digital innovation, and clinical transformation. With thousands of healthcare professionals engaged across WHX’s global ecosystem and major manufacturers unveiling region-first and world-first technologies, Dubai became a realtime exhibition for the future of care delivery.

Across the halls, five themes dominated conversations, show-floor demonstrations, and strategic briefings. These themes are not just shaping product roadmaps but redefining how clinical ecosystems will function in the next decade.

Building the backbone of the next generation clinical ecosystem

If WHX 2025 hinted at the smart hospital, WHX 2026 proved that the concept is now operational, scalable, and multivendor. Mindray, for instance, highlighted its Smart Hospital Ecosystem, demonstrating seamless integration across ICUs, operating theatres, imaging suites, and general wards using its MConnect, MiCo+, and Innolab platforms. These systems enable realtime crossdepartment data sharing, device orchestration, and unified displays, all aimed at reducing handover risk and improving situational awareness.

At the same time, Dräger showcased one of the most mature demonstrations of SDC-based interoperability, enabling true bidirectional alarm routing between ventilators, infusion pumps, monitors, and nurse call platforms through its Distributed Alarm System (DAS). This allows devices from multiple vendors to “speak the same language,” delivering confirmable alarms and enabling their groundbreaking Silent ICU approach for delirium reduction.

Together, these demonstrations showed that interoperability is no longer a ‘nice to have’ and has transformed to a ‘need to have’, becoming a foundational expectation in tenders, driven by clinical safety and usability rather than IT alone.

The rise of the intelligent bedside: Monitoring that thinks ahead

Patient monitoring continued to be one of the strongest technology pillars at WHX 2026, with a clear shift toward multiparameter intelligence, mobility, and integrated clinical decision support.

A major highlight came from GE HealthCare, which showcased its newly CEmarked Carevance™ patient monitoring platform, now featuring the Cardiac Output Insights module, a builtin, ondevice haemodynamic visualisation and decisionsupport tool. Unlike traditional cardiac output systems that require invasive catheters or separate hardware, GE HealthCare’s solution activates with a single click, using a PRAM™based algorithm to provide continuous realtime cardiac output, trend analysis, and a visual decision support view directly from the arterial line already in place. The module can be deployed without proprietary disposables, expanding access to advanced haemodynamic monitoring in settings where invasive systems are impractical or costprohibitive.

The platform is designed to reduce false alarms by up to 92%, demonstrating that monitoring innovation is increasingly tied not only to data acquisition but to alarm quality, interpretability, and workflow clarity.

Alongside GE HealthCare’s approach, other vendors pushed monitoring ecosystems further. Mindray BeneVision V Series introduced its MRV Pod™, a wireless, cablelite, fullparameter module that enables continuous monitoring during mobility and transport. BD showcased HemoSphere Alta™ and VitaWave Plus™, tied to the enterprisewide BD Incada™ platform for unified monitoring intelligence.

Together, these announcements reinforced a clear industry direction: patient monitors are evolving into intelligent clinical hubs, combining mobility, predictive analytics, and actionable insights at the bedside.

Breathing into the future: The new era of integrated respiratory care

WHX 2026 also brought meaningful advances in ventilator design, mobility, and integration. Dräger’s new Oxylog 600, a turbine-driven, highperformance transport ventilator, highlighted how mobility and advanced respiratory support are finally converging. With support for highflow oxygen therapy, invasive and noninvasive ventilation modes, intuitive touchscreen controls, and hotswappable batteries designed for long transports, Oxylog 600 was one of the clearest examples of transport ventilators evolving to meet realworld workflow pressures.

Several companies demonstrated softwaredriven intelligence, including predictive indexes, lungprotective ventilation guidance, and advanced training pathways to address global clinical competency gaps. Many vendors now recognise that the next phase of competitive differentiation will come from decision support, workflow integration, and service, not just additional modes or sensors.

The trend is unmistakable: ventilation is no longer about individual devices, but about integrated respiratory ecosystems that plug into monitoring, alarm management, and transport workflows.

Imaging reimagined: Speed, precision, and sustainability at scale

Imaging was one of the strongest focal points of WHX 2026, with manufacturers unveiling advances that signal a shift toward more sustainable, precise, and automated diagnostic pathways. In CT and MRI, Philips captured major attention with the BlueSeal Horizon, the world’s first helium-free 3.0T MRI, reducing lifecycle complexity and eliminating helium dependency. Siemens Healthineers matched this momentum with two significant product focuses: the NAEOTOM Alpha, the world’s first production photon-counting CT fleet, offering improved spatial resolution and dose efficiency, and the MAGNETOM Flow 1.5T, featuring DryCool helium-independent cooling and AI-accelerated workflows to increase throughput and operational sustainability.

Ultrasound innovation centred on AI-enabled usability. Samsung unveiled three new ultrasound systems at WHX 2026. The V4, a next-generation, fanless, power-efficient platform with high-resolution imaging and integrated AI. The EVO Q10, a lightweight, portable laptop-style system designed for rapid diagnostics across emergency, outpatient, and mobile settings, featuring real-time screensharing and AI cardiac recognition. The company also introduced the R20, a premium radiology-focused ultrasound system debuting in the Middle East, further expanding Samsung’s imaging portfolio.

Mindray also globally debuted two new ultrasound solutions, the Recho I10 and the Neuwa I10. We expect more news on these systems at the upcoming ECR congress in Vienna. Following its launch of the uSONIQUE ultrasound platform at RSNA, United Imaging showcased its now expanded imaging portfolio at WHX.

The platform streamlined workflow and intelligent assistance that allows for automated imaging reducing clinician workload. The company now has a wider breadth of imaging solutions to rival the major competitors in the imaging market. Hisense highlighted advances in its point-of-care platforms with automated probe guidance and real-time teaching support, expanding access to high-quality scanning across clinical skill levels.

Collectively, WHX 2026 showcased imaging as a rapidly advancing ecosystem defined by speed, precision, sustainability, and automation.

When machines connect: The intelligence layer transforming care

Above all technologies, AI and interoperability served as the unifying backbone across every major WHX announcement. AI is now embedded not just in imaging and monitoring, but also in alarm triage, ultrasound guidance, perioperative haemodynamics, and hospitalwide digital twins. Vendors like Philips, Siemens Healthineers, GE HealthCare, BD, and Mindray all showcased AIenabled diagnostics, predictive analytics, workflow acceleration tools, and cloud-native clinical platforms.

Whilst at the WHX congress, Cardioline and Cardiolife announced their partnership in which Cardiolife’s clinically validated CE-market AI solution has been integrated into Cardioline’s holter ECG monitors. The integration will enable faster and more consistent ECG interpretation.

Edan also launched 2 new Resting ECG solutions, the SE-1202 and SE-1201 Pro, both supported by advanced clinical tools and improved clinical workflow to help support cardiologists to make accurate diagnoses. Meanwhile, SDC interoperability, long discussed, seldom deployed, is now finally moving into real-world production, led by Dräger’s DAS, Ascom’s alarm management platform, and cross-vendor integrations with B. Braun and others. This marks a shift from proprietary ecosystems to open, secure, and clinically validated device-to-device communication pathways.

Together, these trends create the digital foundation for connected, predictive, and resilient health systems.

Final thoughts

WHX 2026 made one message unmistakably clear: Healthcare is transitioning from device-centric to ecosystem-centric innovation. Inside the halls, the atmosphere was electric: packed aisles, constant demonstrations, Middle East-specific product launches and an energy that reflected genuine industry momentum. Exhibitors weren’t just showcasing devices; they were presenting integrated clinical pathways, AI-driven workflows, and crossvendor ecosystems that felt immediately relevant to real-world care. It was clear to many that the growth trajectory for the MEA region is once again on the up.

One of the most noticeable improvements was the show layout. The redesigned floor plan made navigating between major zones including imaging, monitoring, digital health, critical care significantly smoother. Attendees consistently commented on how intuitive the internal flow felt, a welcome shift from past events.

Yet outside the exhibition, a different story played out. Despite the excitement, access to the new venue proved challenging. Long taxi queues, heavy traffic, and bottlenecks around peak hours became a shared frustration.

Many joked that it was easier to navigate an AI-enabled clinical workflow than the roads outside WHX. Let’s hope this improves in time for next year’s event!

Signify Research’s Medical Imaging team formulates expert market intelligence for some of the leading Ultrasound, CT, MRI, and X-ray vendors. 

Signify Research’s clinical care team provides market intelligence and detailed insights on the clinical care equipment and IT markets.