The 2026 edition of WHX Labs in Dubai, formerly Medlab Middle East, marks a pivotal milestone, honouring the event’s origins while launching new summits and scientific platforms that will help shape the next generation of laboratory excellence worldwide.
By Solenne Singer, Senior Vice President – Healthcare, Informa Markets
The upcoming edition of Medlab Middle East, now known as World Health Expo (WHX) Labs in Dubai, marks the event’s 25th year and a key milestone for one of the most influential laboratory and diagnostics gatherings in the world. As the curtain lifts on WHX Labs in Dubai, the event’s story is not only one of industry progress, but of regional ambition, scientific collaboration and a commitment to high-quality healthcare across the Middle East.
What began as a focused meeting for laboratory professionals has now grown into a respected global event. The Medlab brand has now extended beyond the Middle East, establishing leading laboratory exhibitions in Africa, Asia, and Europe, connecting more than half a million healthcare professionals in nine countries, across four continents.
As the region’s premier laboratory event, WHX Labs in Dubai has become a critical platform for the MENA diagnostics community to forge relationships with global stakeholders, accelerate scientific exchange, and introduce new products and technologies that shape clinical practice.
Global leaders, including Abbott, Sysmex, Siemens Healthineers, Beckman Coulter, Biomerieux, Randox and Snibe, are already confirmed, reflecting the event’s international reach and reputation as a global hub for laboratory innovation.
Across the exhibition floor, WHX Labs in Dubai will spotlight advancements in eight dedicated laboratory sectors, including Disposables, Diagnostics Tests, Imaging & Diagnostics, Laboratory Devices, Healthcare and General Services, Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Instruments and Reagents and Chemicals.
The show has consistently supported the UAE economy by driving business tourism, enabling new medical laboratory projects and deals, and serving as a launchpad for solutions that elevate laboratory standards locally and internationally.
This legacy continues and strengthens under the new identity of WHX Labs in Dubai, part of the World Health Expo (WHX) portfolio, which unifies Informa’s healthcare events worldwide under a single brand. While the name has changed, the mission remains unchanged – to help drive laboratory excellence, innovation and commercial growth for the industry.
The 2026 edition, taking place from 10-13 February at Dubai World Trade Centre, will highlight the event’s 25-year legacy under the theme “25 years of laboratory innovation: Uniting Communities for better health.” Last year’s event generated $621 million in business value and welcomed 27,853 professional visits, with over 35,000 professional visits expected for this year’s landmark edition.
WHX Labs in Dubai 2026 will launch the flagship Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Leaders’ Summit from February 12th – 13th and will address defining challenges and opportunities shaping the future of global health. Led by the conference chair Dr Wael Elamin, Medical Director, Environmental Sciences, M42, the summit will bring together clinicians, scientists, policymakers, pharmaceutical innovators and healthcare leaders to bridge the gap between research and implementation. The programme will feature fireside chats, debates, case-based panels, and cross-sector discussion formats that aim to spur real, scalable solutions.
Alongside these summits, the 25th Annual Laboratory Management and Medicine Congress will deliver eight CME-accredited tracks – from Haematology and Clinical Chemistry to Molecular Diagnostics and Histopathology – led by 250 global experts. The congress will reflect on the event’s 25-year journey while examining the innovations that will define the next generation of laboratory quality and global benchmarking.
Twenty-five years on, WHX Labs in Dubai stands not only as a testament to how far the laboratory industry has come but as a reminder of how much more it can achieve. In celebrating its past, the event is also charting the future – one where collaboration, innovation and scientific progress converge to deliver better health for all.
