World Bank medical tourism experts have ranked Jordan number one in the Arab region and number five in the world as a medical tourism hub.

The announcement was made by Jordan's Private Hospital Association (PHA) President Fawzi Hammouri who told reporters that according to the World Bank, Jordan is the only country in the Middle East that generates more income than what it spends on health. He said the Kingdom's medical tourism revenues in 2007 exceeded $1 billion, and that the number of foreign patients has been growing at around 10% annually since 2004.

Hammouri also revealed a PHA study which indicated that over 250,000 patients from around 84 Arab and foreign countries were treated in Jordanian private hospitals, clinics, and medical centers in 2007.

According to the study, commissioned by the Health Ministry, Jordan's private medical sector treated 45,000 Iraqi patients, 25,000 Palestinian patients, and 25,000 Sudanese patients. The study also showed that more than 1,800 US citizens, 1,200 UK citizens and 400 Canadian citizens sought medical treatment in the Kingdom in 2007. The list also included patients from Yemen (20,000), Saudi Arabia (19,000), Syria (10,000), Libya (10,000), as well as Bahrain, Algeria, and Kuwait.

A delegation of representatives of 7 private hospitals and the Jordan Tourism Board will participate in an international conference on medical tourism in San Francisco with the participation of around 1,000 participants from 50 countries.

Hammouri expressed hope that this event "will open scopes of cooperation with US parties concerned with medical insurance and medical tourism," noting that the cost of medical treatment in Jordan is 25% of that the US, including airline tickets, accommodation, and site-seeing tours.