QNA put Qatar's QMED device show at 55 participants on eve of opening

The third Qatar International Medical Devices and Healthcare Exhibition and Conference (QMED 2026) was scheduled to run from 14 to 16 October 2026 at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, under the patronage of the Ministry of Public Health. On 13 October, the eve of the opening, the Qatar News Agency reported that the three-day event would bring together 55 companies and institutions from 12 countries. Qatar Tribune gave the same figure on 14 October and named the organiser as Sogha Exhibitions & Conferences.

QNA had reported a separate, expected figure in September. On 7 September, reporting Qatar Development Bank (QDB) joining the event as a partner, QNA said the exhibition was expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors, with the participation of around 150 local and international companies and national pavilions from the United States, Italy, Turkiye, China and several GCC countries, according to the report as published by Gulf Times. That report did not attribute the figures to a named official. The 55 figure was stated on the eve of the opening and counts companies and institutions; the 150 figure was an expectation reported on 7 September and counts companies. None of the reports read compares the two, explains the difference or gives a final exhibitor or visitor count. In November 2025, Gulf Times reported that QMED 2026 was scheduled for 6 to 8 May 2026 on 5,000 square metres of exhibition space; no report read explains the change of dates.

Who is backing the event

Nasser Bin Khaled Medical Group Company (NBK Medical), established in 1985 and part of NBK Holding, is the diamond sponsor, the organiser said in an announcement reported by Qatar Tribune on 14 October. According to the organiser, NBK Medical serves public hospitals, semi-government organisations, private hospitals and medical centres in Qatar, with activities that include medical imaging, laboratory solutions, general surgery, hospital furniture, after-sales services and healthcare project planning.

QDB is the event’s strategic development partner. Ahmad Hassan Al Mahasna, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at QDB, said its pavilion would feature Qatari manufacturers and healthcare companies, and linked the partnership to the objectives of the Third Qatar National Development Strategy (2024 to 2030) and to expanding the role of the private sector in the national healthcare ecosystem, according to QNA.

The exhibition was planned with zones for medical devices and supplies, healthcare technology and artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, laboratories and diagnostics, digital health, medical tourism and wellness, health insurance, medical education, healthcare innovation and public health, Qatar Tribune reported on 14 October. The programme was to include scientific tracks on smart medical devices and on diagnostics and laboratory solutions, business meetings for suppliers, distributors and investors, and a seminar on regenerative medicine on 16 October.

Nasser Ahmed Al Khouri, Director of the Public Relations and Communications Department at the Ministry of Public Health, said the ministry’s patronage reflected its commitment to strengthening partnerships with the private sector, according to QNA. Khalifa Salman Al Muhannadi, chairman of the QMED 2026 organising committee, said the opening marked an important milestone in the exhibition’s development.

Our reading

• The Healthcare Daily’s reading: for device and diagnostics suppliers, the only participation figures available are QNA’s: around 150 companies expected in September, and 55 companies and institutions stated on the eve of the opening. The reports do not say whether the two figures are measured the same way, give a reason for any difference or include a final count, so neither should be read as a measure of demand from Qatari buyers.
• The sponsor list puts a Qatari supplier founded in 1985, NBK Medical, in the diamond slot. Manufacturers without a local presence may note which local companies are positioning themselves as partners for public and private hospital buyers.
• QDB’s framing of its role around the national strategy and the private sector points to continued state support for Qatari healthcare companies, but no funding, procurement or localisation commitments were reported in the coverage read.
• The plan put diagnostics, laboratory and health insurance zones alongside devices in one exhibition. Whether that produces orders will only be clear if exhibitors or the ministry report deals after the event.