In February 2026, the Kaleidex Group joined thousands of healthcare leaders, innovators and manufacturers at WHX Dubai 2026, formerly known as Arab Health, now hosted at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City.
Rebranded as World Health Expo (WHX), the event reflects the growing globalisation of the medical technology sector. For Kaleidex and its group companies, including Serrations Ltd, WHX Dubai offered something invaluable: time and space to reconnect with long-standing international partners while exploring new global opportunities.
With over 95% of Serrations’ sales coming from export markets, Dubai remains a strategic meeting point for customers across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and beyond. But WHX is more than a trade show. It is a temperature check on the industry.
A new home, a new chapter
2026 marked the first year WHX Dubai was hosted at the purpose-built Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC). The move signalled both physical and symbolic expansion. Bryony Hartley of Serrations Ltd, who has attended the show for over 15 years, observed the shift first-hand.
“We’ve watched this event grow alongside Dubai itself,” Bryony says. “The move to Expo City feels like a natural evolution. The space is more open, more modern, and it reflects the scale and ambition of global healthcare today.”
Access via the Dubai Metro and improved infrastructure made logistics manageable, even during peak times. With further hotel development planned in Expo City, future editions are expected to offer even greater convenience for international visitors. For Kaleidex, however, the venue was only part of the story.
Reconnecting in a global marketplace
WHX Dubai consistently attracts a truly international audience, manufacturers, distributors, surgeons, engineers and commercial leaders from across the globe. For Serrations, whose precision tungsten carbide jaw inserts are supplied worldwide, the event serves as a key touchpoint.
Our focus was to reconnect with existing customers and strengthen those relationships face-to-face,” Bryony explains. “Many of the companies we supply were also exhibiting. There’s real value in stepping away from email and WhatsApp and having meaningful conversations in person.”
The ability to meet multiple global customers in one location remains one of WHX’s strongest advantages. Rather than visiting markets individually, Dubai becomes a centralised hub for discussion, planning and long-term partnership building.
But 2026 carried additional significance
For the first time, Kaleidex Group who have recently acquired Serrations Ltd. had broader representation at the show, reinforcing the collective capabilities of its growing portfolio. As a group bringing together specialist engineering businesses, Kaleidex is positioned to offer depth across multiple precision disciplines.
Adam Thornton, Commercial Director of Kaleidex Group, sees events like WHX as an opportunity to present that wider capability.
“When we attend as part of the Kaleidex Group, we’re not just showcasing individual products,” Adam says. “We’re demonstrating the combined strength of multiple specialist businesses working together. That’s a powerful message in a market where customers increasingly want integrated expertise.”
Having group representation allowed visitors to see beyond individual components and understand the breadth of engineering support available, from early-stage design support to precision manufacturing and specialist inserts.
For Serrations, displaying the Kaleidex Perspex signage on the stand symbolised more than branding. It represented alignment and shared ambition. “It sparked conversations,” Bryony notes. “Customers were curious about the group structure and what it means for future collaboration.”
Listening to the market
Trade shows are not simply about promotion; they are about listening. WHX Dubai 2026 showcased advances across medical devices, diagnostics, digital health and minimally invasive technologies. For Kaleidex, observing broader trends is as important as exhibiting product capability.
“You get a real sense of where the industry is heading,” Adam explains. “There’s a clear push toward greater precision, smaller devices and smarter integration. That aligns perfectly with what our group businesses are built to support.”
The emphasis on minimally invasive solutions, high-performance materials and surgical accuracy reinforces the demand for engineering partners capable of delivering repeatable precision at scale.
Conversations at the show also highlighted the increasing importance of supply chain resilience and trusted long-term partnerships, particularly in export-driven markets. “Face-to-face dialogue builds confidence,” Bryony adds. “In export markets especially, trust is everything.”
International opportunity
One notable discussion during WHX Dubai was with representatives from the UK Department for Business and Trade, exploring further engagement with the Indian healthcare market.
India represents a fast-growing medtech landscape, with increasing investment in advanced surgical and diagnostic solutions. Serrations already supplies several companies within the region, and the conversation opened the door to potential future collaboration and press engagement.
“WHX creates opportunities you don’t always anticipate,” Bryony says. “You might arrive focused on existing customers, but you leave having opened doors to entirely new markets.”
For Kaleidex, whose group companies are export-oriented and globally minded, these conversations are strategically significant.
The value of presence
While digital communication has reshaped global business, WHX Dubai reinforces the continuing importance of physical presence. “There’s no substitute for being there,” Adam reflects. “You can see products up close, gauge market sentiment and have honest conversations about future plans. It accelerates decision-making in a way that virtual interaction simply can’t.”
From a commercial perspective, events like WHX are investments in long-term relationships rather than immediate transactions. The return lies in strengthened partnerships, clearer insight into customer priorities and alignment around shared objectives. For Kaleidex Group, that alignment is central to its strategy.
Looking ahead
With WHX Dubai now established in Expo City, anticipation is already building for 2027. Continued development of infrastructure and accommodation is expected to enhance accessibility, while the event itself continues to expand in global reach.
For Kaleidex, the focus remains clear: maintain strong international relationships, explore emerging markets and continue positioning the group at the forefront of precision engineering within medical technology.
“The medtech sector doesn’t stand still,” Adam concludes. “Neither do we. WHX reminds us why we invest in innovation and collaboration, because our customers operate in an environment where precision and reliability truly matter.”
And for Bryony, the longevity of Serrations’ presence at the show tells its own story. “We’ve been attending for over 15 years,” she says. “That continuity matters. It shows commitment to our customers and to the global healthcare community.”
WHX Dubai 2026 was not just another exhibition date in the calendar. It was a reaffirmation of Kaleidex Group’s international outlook, engineering depth and commitment to supporting healthcare innovation worldwide.
As global healthcare continues to evolve, Kaleidex will be there, listening, collaborating and engineering solutions that help its partners move forward with confidence.