Albatha Healthcare reaches 121 UAE pharmacies with Health First deal

Albatha Healthcare now has 121 UAE pharmacies after acquiring Health First Pharmacy, according to ZAWYA on 8 June 2026.

For healthcare executives, the number to remember is 15,000+: that is the daily customer base Albatha says now flows through its UAE retail pharmacy network after the Health First deal.

What Albatha bought

Health First Pharmacy, established in 2007, was previously owned by Planet Pharmacies and was part of Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries, known as Julphar. ZAWYA reported that the acquisition adds Health First outlets to Albatha's community pharmacy footprint across the UAE.

Albatha Healthcare said the deal sits alongside a refreshed Modern Pharmacy website and a new mobile application. For CIOs and COOs, that shifts the work from store count to execution: prescription workflows, delivery routing, inventory visibility and loyalty data have to operate across branches and emirates.

"The acquisition of Health First Pharmacy strengthens Albatha Healthcare's presence across the UAE."
Hesham Abdalla, managing director, Albatha Healthcare

For Julphar, the transaction points in the opposite direction. Basel Ziyadeh, Julphar's CEO, said the sale is part of a plan to exit non-core UAE retail pharmacy operations and focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing and commercialisation.

Why 121 matters

The headline figure is 121 pharmacies, but throughput is the operating test. A network serving more than 15,000 customers daily gives Albatha a direct channel for prescriptions, chronic refill demand, wellness products and insurer-directed retail activity.

Market data gives the deal more context. Grand View Research estimates that the UAE pharmacy market generated US$4.31 billion in revenue in 2024 and could reach US$8.15 billion by 2030, with an 11.2% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030. Credence Research gives a separate retail pharmacy estimate of US$8.62 billion in 2024 and US$10.40 billion by 2032, with a 2.38% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2032.

• 121 pharmacies are now in Albatha's UAE retail network.
• 15,000+ customers use the network daily, according to Albatha.
• Health First Pharmacy was founded in 2007.
• 8 June 2026 is the reported announcement date.

For hospital-owned pharmacies, independent community pharmacies and e-pharmacy entrants, Albatha's enlarged footprint raises a practical question: whether smaller operators can match branch density, payer relationships and same-day fulfilment without higher technology and staffing costs.

Licensing risk

Retail pharmacy growth in the UAE still depends on emirate-level licensing. Dubai Health Authority regulates pharmacy facilities in Dubai, Department of Health Abu Dhabi covers Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and Ministry of Health and Prevention licenses pharmaceutical facilities and pharmacists in the Northern Emirates.

MOHAP says its pharmaceutical facility licensing service requires a licensed, experienced pharmacist for final facility approval. DHA pharmacy guidelines set a sharper staffing rule for round-the-clock sites: a 24-hour pharmacy needs four licensed DHA pharmacists, including one full-time pharmacist.

The executive takeaway is direct: Albatha's 121-store base gives it more negotiating and customer reach, but the value of the Health First acquisition will depend on integration speed, pharmacist coverage and whether the new mobile channel can turn branch density into repeat prescription activity.