BCCD Breast Cancer Awareness Morning 2026 in Dubai

The BCCD Breast Cancer Awareness Morning in Dubai brings people together at the SEE Institute in The Sustainable City on Tuesday 27 October 2026, right in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Listed by the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai, it is a morning of honest conversation about breast cancer and about what cancer means at work and at home.

This is not a lecture-only format. There is a panel, two rounds of breakout sessions you choose on the day, a market, a wellness and treatment room, and plenty of time to talk to people. It is the sort of morning you leave with practical knowledge and a few new contacts who genuinely care about the subject.

About the Breast Cancer Awareness Morning in Dubai

The aim is simple: raise awareness of breast cancer and, more broadly, of the impact cancer has on people’s working and family lives. The programme covers recognising the signs and getting screened, understanding diagnosis and treatment, and how to support colleagues, friends and family through it all.

The event is a collaboration between the Female Fusion Network, the SEE Institute and the Canadian Business Council, with Jen Blandos and Lamya Gabr as co-organisers. Both are breast cancer survivors themselves, which shapes the tone of the whole morning.

One detail we particularly like: breast cancer survivors who speak, lead workshops or guide meditations are paid for their time, and funds raised go towards supporting and paying survivors. It is a small but meaningful way of valuing lived experience rather than simply asking for it.

What to Expect

The agenda is subject to change, but the shape of the morning is clear. Registration opens with coffee and a market, followed by a welcome, a main panel, a short audience Q&A with prizes, and then two breakout rounds separated by breaks. The morning closes with more market time, coffee and networking before wrapping up at midday.

The Main Panel

The headline session is a panel titled “The Whole Journey, from Early Detection to Life Beyond Cancer”, bringing together doctors, specialists and survivors. Expect it to move from screening and diagnosis through treatment and into life afterwards, with time for questions at the end.

Breakout Round One

You choose one of three sessions:

• Auditorium: mini keynotes on cancer at work and life after treatment.
• Lecture Theatre 1: a survivor workshop on breast reconstruction, led by a consultant breast surgeon and a consultant reconstructive plastic surgeon.
• ImmerSEE: a guided meditation led by a survivor.

Breakout Round Two

• Auditorium: the mini keynotes run again, so you can catch them if you chose something else first time round.
• Lecture Theatre 1: an educational survivor workshop on menopause and cancer.
• ImmerSEE: a guided meditation led by a survivor and an oncology yoga specialist.

Speakers and Contributors

Confirmed speakers include Katy Keenan, CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai, Diana Szyszka-Pompei, Executive Director of the Canadian Business Council Dubai and Northern Emirates, and co-organisers Jen Blandos and Lamya Gabr. The medical voices include Dr Serife Simsek, Consultant Breast Surgeon, and Dr Stefano Pompei, Consultant Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, both from Fakeeh University Hospital, plus Dr Deema Siwheil, Clinical Director and Psychologist at Carbone Clinic.

Survivor contributors include Catherine Vander Cammen PhD and Shivani Radia as speakers, Manisha Sahni and oncology yoga specialist Jessica Abou Jaoude leading meditation, and Lauren O’Connell, Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan Middle East. Scott Armstrong, CEO of mentl, Sharon James and Dr Heidi Kussmann, a naturopathic oncology specialist physician, are also listed. The organisers say more speakers will be announced.

Key Highlights

• A panel covering the whole journey, from early detection to life beyond cancer.
• Two breakout rounds with a choice of keynotes, specialist workshops or guided meditation.
• A wellness and treatment room in the Majlis running all morning.
• An optional reflective session in ImmerSEE during registration.
• Survivors are paid for the sessions they lead, and funds raised support survivors.
• Refreshments and snacks throughout the morning, plus a market and networking.

Who It Is For

The organisers are clear that the morning is open to anyone, whatever cancer has touched their life. Men and women are both welcome. It will be especially useful for:

• Anyone wanting to understand the signs, screening and their own risk.
• Employers and HR teams supporting staff through treatment and the return to work.
• Managers and colleagues who are unsure how to respond when someone tells them they have cancer.
• Patients, survivors and the people supporting them.

If you work in people management, this is a good one to bring a colleague along to. The conversations about cancer at work tend to be the ones that change how a team actually behaves.

The Venue: SEE Institute, The Sustainable City

The morning takes place at the SEE Institute, Wadi Al Safa 7, The Sustainable City, Dubai. Sessions are spread across several spaces in the building: the Auditorium, Lecture Theatre 1, the immersive ImmerSEE room and the Majlis, where the wellness and treatment room is set up. Self parking is available.

Visitor Tips

• Register in advance: this is a pre-pay event, and your place is only confirmed once payment has been received.
• BCCD members: log in to the member portal before booking. If your company is a member but you are not a named member, register by email instead.
• Patients and survivors: places are available by application, so get in touch with the BCCD using the email on the official event page.
• Cancellations: the cancellation window closed at 11:59am on Friday 23 October 2026, and no-show fees apply after that.
• Dress code: business.
• Breakouts: you pick your sessions on the day, so have a look at the options above and decide what matters most to you.
• Photography: photos and videos may be taken and shared on social media, and attending implies consent.
• Arrive early: the market, the wellness room and the reflective session all run around registration, so it is worth getting there in good time.

If cancer has touched your life, your family or your workplace, this is a warm, practical and well-informed way to spend a Tuesday morning. Register on the official BCCD page, choose your breakouts on the day and come ready to listen, learn and talk.