Abu Dhabi: Health officials and experts say the sector is undergoing a rapid transformation towards a proactive model that uses artificial intelligence, data analysis and wearable technologies to monitor health risks, predict diseases and enable early intervention before symptoms appear.
The shift is ultimately aimed at providing personalised medical care based on each individual’s health and genetic characteristics, helping improve treatment outcomes and the patient experience.
They said the future of healthcare lies in integrating technology with medical expertise and connecting health data within a single system to improve diagnosis and prevention, reduce pressure on hospitals and enhance quality of life. Abu Dhabi has advanced capabilities to develop this model through digital health initiatives, the Emirati Genome Programme and the “My File” platform.
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, said smart wearable technologies provide continuous insights into individuals’ health and create opportunities to identify risks at an early stage.
She highlighted the importance of linking data from these devices with the health system to support early intervention and improve quality of life.
Dr Al Ghaithi said the “Our Health” application integrates data from wearable devices with health records through the “My File” platform to calculate a personal healthy-age index. This helps individuals understand the clinical and lifestyle factors affecting their health.
She said digital health initiatives, electronic prescriptions and the Emirati Genome Programme also support the shift towards prevention and personalised care.
Dr Asma Ibrahim Al-Mannai, Executive Director of the Health and Life Sciences Sector at the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, said Abu Dhabi had taken advanced steps in using artificial intelligence in healthcare, including training thousands of doctors to use AI applications in hospitals and health facilities.
The emirate has also adopted standards governing the use of these technologies, helping improve diagnostic accuracy and accelerate the delivery of healthcare while preserving the doctor’s role as the trusted medical authority for patients.
“We have trained thousands of doctors on the use of artificial intelligence applications, and we have adopted standards for employing these technologies in hospitals, which enhances the accuracy of diagnosis and the speed of providing care.”
Dr Al-Mannai said these efforts were part of Abu Dhabi’s move towards a proactive healthcare system that shifts from responding to diseases after they occur to predicting and preventing health risks. Advances in genomics and artificial intelligence can help identify risks earlier and enable more precise medical interventions.
She said healthcare systems need to monitor early warning indicators, analyse patterns and intervene promptly through an integrated system encompassing genomics, population health monitoring, real-time data platforms and AI-powered analytics.
AI tools can support clinical decisions, improve triage, treatment and referrals, and contribute to earlier risk detection and response. Data can also be used to guide policy, allocate resources more efficiently and ease pressure on hospitals.
Imran Al-Khoury, Board Member of Burjeel Holding, said: “Artificial intelligence has become an important tool in developing medical practice, through its ability to analyze images and medical examinations and detect pathological indicators, in addition to supporting surgical planning and evaluating medical procedures. It also helps doctors make more accurate clinical decisions based on data analysis and scientific evidence. At Burjeel, we are moving towards integrating these technologies into the various stages of the patient journey, which enhances the efficiency of medical services and patient safety, while emphasizing that artificial intelligence supports the doctor’s expertise and does not replace it.”
He said: “Artificial intelligence opens up broad horizons for developing the diagnosis of rare diseases by analyzing genetic data, medical records and vital signs, which helps in discovering disease patterns that may be difficult to identify by traditional means. It also contributes to developing predictive models to identify people who are most susceptible to some diseases, and enables early intervention and the development of more accurate treatment plans. At Burjeel, we focus on developing services for genetic and rare diseases and precision medicine, which supports the transition from treating diseases after they appear to more proactive healthcare based on the genetic and biological characteristics of each patient.”
Al-Khoury added: “Artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in improving the prevention of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, by analyzing health data and predicting complications before they occur. Remote monitoring technologies also enable continuous patient follow-up and the development of treatment plans tailored to their needs, thus contributing to improving their quality of life and reducing the need for hospitalization. However, this transformation requires ensuring the protection of patient data, the accuracy of smart systems, and the training of medical staff in their use. We believe that investing in these technologies represents an opportunity to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare systems and achieve better treatment outcomes in the long term.”
He added: “Artificial intelligence also contributes to a significant transformation in drug development, through the analysis of biological data, the identification of therapeutic targets, and the discovery of promising drug compounds more efficiently. It also helps improve the design of clinical trials and the selection of suitable patients, which may reduce the time and costs associated with the research and development phases.”
Al-Khoury said AI represented a significant shift in medical practice but was not a replacement for doctors. Instead, it could enhance their capabilities and support decision-making. Smart technologies can analyse vast amounts of data and provide precise recommendations, but they cannot replace clinical expertise, medical judgement or human interaction with patients.
This shift is expected to allow doctors to focus more on complex cases and personalised care while retaining responsibility for treatment decisions. The future of medicine, he said, lies in integrating artificial intelligence with human expertise rather than putting the two in competition.
Brandon Dawson, co-founder, chairman and CEO of 10X Health and co-founder and chairman of 10X Revive, said the healthcare sector did not lack health data, but rather clarity in understanding and using it.
Individuals now have genetic test results and blood analyses, along with information collected daily by wearable devices. However, much of this data remains spread across different sources and is rarely translated into meaningful, practical steps.
Technology can help connect this data and transform it into information and insights that individuals and healthcare professionals can use, while clinical decisions remain in the hands of qualified professionals.
Dawson said: “Individuals need greater coherence and continuity between the health information they collect, the decisions they make daily, and the care they receive, so that all of it forms a seamless, integrated experience, in which every new piece of information, whether it is the result of a blood test, a reading from a wearable device, or a change in daily habits, contributes to completing a single picture of the individual’s health status. In return, healthcare professionals need reliable tools that support their expertise and do not replace it. The sector must also enhance trust through the responsible use of data, establish clear frameworks for clinical governance, and develop solutions that are applicable within different regulatory environments.”
He said the UAE aspires to build one of the world’s most advanced health systems, with an increasing focus on connected healthcare tailored to individual needs. Abu Dhabi, he added, has the scientific capabilities, practical experience and international healthcare expertise needed to help shape this model in the UAE and beyond.
Smart protection
The Abu Dhabi Department of Health said artificial intelligence was no longer merely a temporary trend but a practical tool capable of delivering tangible benefits.
The emirate is working to accelerate drug discovery by integrating genetic and clinical data with information from wearable devices in an AI-powered system that provides real-world evidence. This enables companies to assess the impact and effectiveness of their products in real time.
The department said Abu Dhabi’s health system follows a “prevention before treatment” approach, moving towards a proactive model that anticipates and predicts health risks and provides individuals with the data and insights needed to manage their health and intervene before disease develops.
The Unified Medical Operations Command Centre is also a key part of the health system’s readiness. According to the department, independent AI systems have helped increase its operational capacity by the equivalent of 40 times, enabling real-time monitoring of cases and developments, faster emergency responses and integrated care beginning from the moment a patient is in an ambulance.