The Mission of the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS, www.dohms.gov.ae) is to provide all necessary health services, including curative, supportive, and rehabilitation services for the community. This will be achieved by using of state of the art technology, employing highly qualified health professionals and establishing strong links with national and international health organizations. Overall, the scheduled health programs are part of an integrated health policy that aims to make the Emirates a primary hub of medical tourism in the region.

The Medical Physics Section, under Clinical Support Affairs in Dubai Hospital, strives to develop scientific and technical programs related to diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radiation, radiation protection and radiopharmaceutical applications. The Medical Physics Section organizes regularly national, regional and international training courses and conferences to support the use of radiation in medicine. The cooperation of DOHMS with the Emirates Medical Physics Society (EMPS)/ Emirates Medical Association (EMA, http://www.ema.ae/ema) and other National and International Academic Institutions is considered a necessary and big step for boosting radiation applications in the UAE.

The International Medical Physics Conference (ICMP) is an important event organized every three years under the auspices of the IOMP ( http://www.iomp.org ), the International Organization of Medical Physics. IOMP is an international organization founded in 1963, regrouping more than 70 countries and striving to contribute to the advancement of Medical Physics worldwide, especially in developing countries. Previous conferences have been organized in Germany (2005), Portugal (2002) and Greece (1999).

The Medical Physics Conference draws its popularity among scientists from the successful outcome it has enjoyed on each occasion, thanks to the contribution of the participating members from all over the world.

The selected Theme for ICMP 2008 in Dubai is:

Current and Future Sciences in Radiation Medicine

In this Conference, the emphasis will be on promoting modern, safe and efficient technologies in the medical field; it will cover various areas of medical imaging, therapeutic uses of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, biomedical applications and other interesting scientific aspects of Physics in medicine. This important event will provide opportunities for the hundreds of participants to learn about the most recent advancements in Medical Physics, to exchange experiences and make new contacts, to meet notorious scientists, and to take back sweet memories from the friendly environment of Dubai. Organizing the International Medical Physics Conference in Dubai is definitely a huge challenge, considering all the requirements to be met. Dubai is proudly honored to hold this event in 2008; the organizing committee shall spare no effort to make it successful and highly enjoyable!