Inside the leadership driving the UAE’s preventative health economy

At 34, Amanda Gravitis leads one of the UAE’s fastest-scaling digital healthcare platforms with a leadership style defined by clarity rather than noise. Appointed CEO of Smart Salem in 2022, she has overseen rapid expansion, transforming the organisation from a single-centre operation into a multi-site, fully digital healthcare ecosystem aligned with Dubai’s smart city ambitions.

Under her leadership, Smart Salem has delivered consistent year-on-year growth, expanded its service portfolio into advanced preventative health screening, and built a people-first culture grounded in accountability, trust, and innovation. Gravitis does not frame leadership as a performance. Instead, she approaches it as a responsibility to systems, teams, and the communities the business serves.

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In this interview, she reflects on scaling with intention, leading within a public-private partnership model, and why the UAE offers one of the world’s most enabling environments for ambitious, values-driven leadership.

Excerpts from the interview:

What inspired you to start your business, and how do you envision it evolving in the next five years within the UAE’s dynamic market? 

Since I was appointed CEO in 2022 the business has grown rapidly, achieving 40% YoY growth and x5 headcount growth (from 20 to 120 people) by expanding from one to three fully digital, state of the art centres and  introducing 30+ new cutting edge preventative health screening services such as Smart DNA testing. 

Health, wellness and longevity are booming in the UAE as part of the Government’s vision for being a global leader of quality of life, not only for residents but also as a hub for wellness tourism, and this will continue over the next five years. We will focus on further optimising our services by leveraging AI and automation to ensure we continually deliver an exceptional customer experience, expanding our business locally and regionally and diversifying into other ground-breaking areas of preventative health where we see value for our customers.

How do you believe the culture and business environment of the UAE have influenced your business practices and overall strategy? 

As a PPP with Dubai Government, our operating model and strategy is directly aligned to the Crown Prince’s vision to make Dubai an innovative smart city – we are pioneers providing premium government services and innovative healthcare.  By providing Dubai’s fastest medical visa test as well as AI-powered, advanced health screening, we are bringing the future of preventative healthcare to the people of the UAE. Our services are designed for precision, efficiency, and convenience and backed by the latest technology.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as an entrepreneur in the UAE, and how have you overcome them? 

I think above all, the biggest challenge I’ve faced in my accelerated career journey — I'm 34 years old — is finding the right balance between working in the business and working on the business, and this seems quite common in entrepreneurs. Being in the detail is what makes us successful, but to grow teams you need to surround yourself with great people, empower them and trust them, and this means taking a bit of a step back to be able to focus on strategy and growth vs operations. 

I have learned a lot, and I consciously try to ensure that my philosophy – for myself, and also for my team - is it’s okay to fail, as long as you learn from it. Making the wrong decision is better than making no decision, and we will never always get things right or perfect the first time. 

Also, as the leader, I don't expect anyone to work harder than me – you don’t achieve aspirations without hard work.

In what ways does your business incorporate sustainability and social responsibility, particularly in the context of the UAE’s vision for a sustainable future? 

Our core purpose at Smart Salem is to empower people and communities to enjoy better, healthier and longer lives by bringing the future of preventative health to the UAE, and we also run several community focused initiatives such as free educational events, free blood sugar testing for World Diabetes Day and Ramadan Iftar and food distribution for labourers. In terms of sustainability, we are fully digital, reducing reliance on paper and driving efficiencies across our operations and for our customers. Our use of automation, IoT, AI and robotics reduces human error, redundancies and resource waste compared with traditional medical centers and contributes to Dubai’s vision for a smarter, more sustainable healthcare services. We have also this year switched fully recyclable compostable coffee cups and 100 per cent recycled paper, where it is still necessary.

How has technology played a role in your business growth, and what technological trends do you believe are shaping the future of industries/business in the UAE? 

Technology is at the heart of our business, ensuring a seamless and premium experience for our customers everytime. This innovative approach to healthcare is a key factor in our rapid accension in the market since we launched in 2020;  through our application of advanced technologies and automation we are able to provide an unparallelled level of convenience, speed and luxury.

AI is by far the most transformational technology across all industries currently. In healthcare AI is already universalising access, enhancing diagnostic speed, accuracy and insights and ultimately, improving outcomes for patients ans  the next few years it will become a fully integrated element of existing health systems, supporting clinicians across the whole patient journey

Can you please describe the importance of networking and partnerships in your business journey, particularly in the context of the UAE’s unique business landscape? 

Business is all about people and relationships, and being part of extended business communities and having a solid network of business leaders and mentors has been a  huge support in my career. Meeting people, going to events and extending your network is one of the most important ways to gain intelligence, discover opportunities and form partnerships. The UAE business landscape is really quite small so it’s even more important here.

What advice would you offer to emerging entrepreneurs in the UAE who aspire to make a significant impact in their respective industries? 

The UAE is an amazing place for entrepreneurs and SMEs – from the regulatory environment, simplicity of business set up and high level of Government support to the diverse marketplace and strategic global location, it’s really got everything. However it also has its challenges, and business leaders need to be ready to adapt and innovate quickly to keep pace with changing consumer demands. The culture here tends to reward convenience, speed and premium experiences so you always need to be at the top of your game and one step ahead of competitors.