The Priory Wellbeing Centre in Abu Dhabi was officially opened on 2 March by Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) to the UAE, Patrick Moody, and Priory CEO, Trevor Torrington. The centre – Priory’s second in the UAE – is based in Al Bateen and will provide its renowned, specialist mental health support and expertise to both residents and vistors in the UAE capital.
Like its counterpart in Dubai, the new centre will offer a broad portfolio of mental healthcare support for conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm.
Dedicated children’s mental health services
However, unique to the new mental health centre will be its provision of dedicated and comprehensive children’s services including developmental, speech and language, occupational therapy and educational psychology. This will include assessment and treatment of ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and difficulties and behaviour problems.
Trevor Torrington, CEO of Priory Middle East, said: “We are thrilled to officially open our second wellbeing centre in the UAE. Since launching our Dubai centre in 2017, we have seen demand for our services increase year on year, and it was a natural step to bring this expertise to Abu Dhabi. We are also pleased to extend our services specifically among children and young people, particularly at a time when so many have experienced challenging times because of the pandemic.
“Since we entered the healthcare market in the UAE, we’ve received a huge level of support from government organisations and regulatory bodies. This demonstrates a growing recognition of the need to help de-stigmatise and raise awareness of mental ill health, while providing access to niche medical services for both residents and visitors.
“This new centre, and its team of highly experienced medical professionals, will enable wide access to our services and act as a further stepping stone in the expansion of our healthcare and education services across the region.”
The new facility extends the Priory’s capacity in the UAE, where its existing facilities include a Wellbeing Centre in Dubai, which opened in 2017, and ‘Al Karamah School’, the first dedicated autism school in the UAE. Al Karamah School was launched in 2019 in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK).
Patrick Moody, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the UAE, said: “The UK has vast experience in providing world-class mental health care and it is pleasing to see this expertise being shared across the Middle East. This impressive new centre reflects the strong partnership approach adopted between the Priory Middle East and government bodies in Abu Dhabi to provide the highest levels of mental health support to the community.”
Key features of the Priory Wellbeing Centre in Abu Dhabi
Additional key features of the Priory Wellbeing Centre in Abu Dhabi include:
- A highly experienced team of psychiatrists, psychologists, speech and occupational therapists offering support in a number of languages, including Arabic and English
- Dedicated specialist speech and language, and occupational therapy rooms
- Children’s assessments and interventions to support child development
- 19 consulting rooms
Dr Ateeq Qureshi, Medical Director at the new centre, said: “Mental ill health is not discriminatory and can affect us all at some point in our lives, regardless of age, gender and situation. We have a straightforward vision; to provide our patients with the best possible care and experience. This major new health facility will enable our team of expert health professionals to ensure patients receive the highest level of support and care and support them on their journey to recovery.
“We have made careful adaptations to ensure the culture and care provision within the new wellbeing centre reflects the local environment and we hope more people in the region will recognise the equal importance of looking after both their physical and mental health, and seek appropriate help when needed.”
- For more information, visit: www.priorygroup.ae
