A diverse team of UAE healthcare professionals showcases advanced AI and holographic technology in a modern hospital.
Abu Dhabi is making significant strides in healthcare innovation with the latest advances in artificial intelligence (AI) aimed at predicting and preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) recently unveiled new AI-powered initiatives at GITEX Global 2025, as part of its vision to help residents live longer, healthier lives.
AI language models: From Fifth-Gen Warfare to Next-Gen Medicare.
One of the standout projects is the Next-Gen Wellness program, which combines wearable technology, AI-driven health analysis, and physician-led care to detect health risks early and promote personalized wellness plans. This program marks a shift from traditional reactive healthcare to a proactive model, where monitoring and intervention happen continuously. Complementing this is the Smart Healthcare Platform, a cloud-based digital system that facilitates real-time health interventions for better patient outcomes and better system efficiency.These innovations build on the foundation laid by Abu Dhabi’s widely acclaimed AI patient risk profiling system, which is now fully operational across all hospitals and clinics in the emirate and covers the entire population. This tool scrutinizes a person’s health records from birth and assesses the risk of developing 14 different diseases, including diabetes and various cancers. What sets this system apart is its ability to clearly explain the reasons behind risk scores, helping doctors make informed decisions and begin treatment early. Large language models embedded in the system assist physicians by quickly retrieving the most relevant patient information and even support patients through interactive AI-enabled tools available on the Sahatna app.
Abu Dhabi’s three-pillar healthcare strategy
Abu Dhabi’s healthcare transformation is guided by a three-pillar strategy focusing on longevity, best-in-class care, and system resilience. Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH Abu Dhabi, emphasized the importance of this approach at GITEX: “In Abu Dhabi we have something we call a patient risk profile. This looks for 14 different diseases, such as the probability of somebody getting diabetes or different types of cancers, and it tells the physician, based on the patient that’s right in front of you, what is their probability of getting this disease… it informs the physician, and it also gives the physician more information — what lab tests, what recent visits gave the indication to the AI use case that this person has a medium probability of diabetes.” He also highlighted the supportive role of AI, stating, “Artificial intelligence is there to support the physician. It’s very important that we have explainability in the model… It doesn’t act on behalf of the physician – instead, it allows the physician to use their knowledge and understanding.”Earlier efforts in the UAE focused heavily on AI-driven disease detection and risk management. Dubai’s EJADA AI platform, for instance, successfully analyzed millions of health records to identify people at high risk of diabetes, leading to a substantial reduction in treatment costs. Meanwhile, university-led research collaborations have deployed AI to discover new immunotherapy targets for diabetes and cancer by studying genes related to blood vessel cells, opening avenues for faster and more cost-effective treatments.
Malaffi: The next-gen healthcare ecosystem
The seamless sharing of data through Malaffi, the emirate’s health information exchange, ensures that medical professionals have access to a patient’s full medical history at every visit, supporting more precise and timely interventions. The emirate is also nurturing a collaborative innovation ecosystem, welcoming partnerships with global tech leaders and research institutes to pilot and scale AI solutions. This positions Abu Dhabi as a leading testbed for smart healthcare technologies, set to benefit both local communities and global populations.The latest AI advancements in Abu Dhabi represent a leap forward from earlier initiatives, moving beyond risk prediction to continuous wellness support and personalized treatment. This approach is transforming healthcare delivery, enhancing physician capabilities, and advancing Abu Dhabi’s mission to improve the health and longevity of its residents through innovation and technology. Go to Source
