Turkey's rising economy and political influence has led it to become a focal point for the Arab world. Arab businessmen have set their sights on investing in Turkey and now the number of tourists arriving from the Gulf region has exploded. In addition to vacationing in Turkey, Arabs are also embarking on the nation's health tourism options. The first stop for these tourists is Turkey's beauty centers.

According to Kenan Acıkök, owner of the Türk Hair Trans Hair Transplantation Center, the first stop for Arab men from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is to get a hair transplant. "We used to receive a lot of demand in Turkey from Europe for hair transplants. In fact their share had reached up to 70 percent. However, after the crisis there was a serious decrease. Now, it is those that come from Gulf nations that have 70 percent of the procedures done."

Acıkök shared that after receiving treatment they also offer the opportunity for customers to enjoy a free vacation at facilities in Kartepe.

Starting from 2,000 euros…

The cost to receive a hair transplant in Turkey varies from 2,000 to 2,500 euros, whereas in Europe the figure soars to nearly 10,000 euros. Dr. Halil Aksu, a partner at Çevre Hospital, one of the most preferred locations by Arab tourists for hair transplants, says, "European nations have begun to see Turkey as a competitor in plastic surgery.

The fact that those coming from the Gulf prefer to have the procedure done in Turkey is evidence of this fact."

Those who like the results return with their fathers…

According to Aksu, in addition to the low prices, the high quality of the procedures done is an influencing factor which makes people prefer Turkey. "Our customers refer us. We have some patients that have begun to bald at an early age. Those who are pleased with the procedure ended up returning with their fathers or with their friends. Families that come to Istanbul, Bursa or Izmit on holiday end up getting the procedure as well," states Aksu.

Medical teams are now set up to ensure fluency in Arabic…

Çevre Hospital Plastic Surgery Department Director Halil Aksu states, "The presence of Gulf nations in plastic surgery and esthetics is on the rise. At present, 80 percent of what we do consists of hair transplants. The majority of which are customers from Northern Iraq and Dubai. Therefore, we have decided to extend our teams to include staff fluent in Arabic and Kurdish, in addition to English."