PEOPLE ON TOP

Under John Sunil's leadership, Burjeel Holdings has become a $1.9 billion healthcare powerhouse, treating millions and pioneering specialties from oncology to transplants. Now, the CEO is steering its next phase of growth with Saudi expansion, Al investments, and a bold push into new markets.

- BY LAYAN ABO SHKIER

In the early 2000s, seeking lifesaving treatment in the Middle East meant boarding a plane in search of advanced care.

For John Sunil, CEO of Burjeel Holdings, changing that reality has defined much of his career. Over the last two decades, the company has built a network designed to deliver complex, specialized care once only available overseas, where patients no longer need to leave home to find answers. “Our aim is to deliver world-class healthcare in this country,” emphasizes Sunil.

Today, with a market capitalization of $1.9 billion as of September 22, 2025, the ADX-listed holding attracts a patient footfall of 6.5 million per year across more than 112 healthcare assets, including 20 hospitals across the U.A.E. and Oman and 30 physiotherapy and wellness centers in Saudi Arabia, with a total bed capacity of 1,743.

Burjeel Holdings’ origins trace back to 2007, when its founder, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, opened LLH Hospital in Abu Dhabi, a multi-specialty hospital designed to deliver affordable care. In 2010, it launched its first hospital in Oman, LLH Sohar. In 2012, the Burjeel brand was introduced with a new ambition: to bring together clinical excellence and hospitality to the U.A.E. “The landscape changed in the healthcare sector when Burjeel entered the market and added a unique hospitality flavor across the U.A.E.,” remembers Sunil. As many patients in the U.A.E. still traveled abroad for advanced treatment, the new hospitals sought to change that. “We were saying that we have to get the best clinical care to the U.A.E,” Sunil recalls. The company expanded across the U.A.E. and Oman, launching new brands, hospitals and medical centers that catered to different socioeconomic segments. On October 10, 2022, it listed its shares on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).