Master's Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Trade and Distribution, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, language: English, abstract: This research investigates the application of supply chain strategies in the healthcare sector from the perspective of purchasing in the Dubai Health Authority. The objective of this research is twofold. Firstly, this paper aims at examining the relation between the products' characteristics and their related supply chain strategies. Secondly, the current supply chain strategy will be investigated. The data used to investigate these issues was obtained from a qualitative study from a semi structured face-to-face interview. The interview is crucial in providing a more in-depth insight into the products characteristics and their supply chain strategies characteristics. The analysis of the data will demonstrate that there is a correlation between the products' characteristics and the supply chain strategies, which suggests a mutual focus on both applications of lean and agile strategies.