Digital innovations through advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are significantly enhancing patient care and optimizing efficiency. As Mark Adams, CEO of Clemenceau Medical Center in Dubai, noted in February: “AI is becoming an integral part of operational transformations that will drastically redesign the healthcare landscape.”
He said AI can be utilized in patient management, X-ray analysis, and diagnosis, adding, ‘There’s almost no area of healthcare that’s not being disrupted by AI.”
According to McKinsey research, generative AI (GenAI) has the power to “unlock a piece of the unrealized $1 trillion of improvement potential present in the [healthcare] industry.” That could be achieved by automating repetitive and error-prone tasks, providing instant access to clinical data, and modernizing health systems’ infrastructure.
The Middle East is spearheading technological innovations and AI to revolutionize its healthcare systems. According to a 2024 report by Deloitte, MENA “governments and healthcare institutions are heavily investing in cutting-edge innovations and a range of initiatives, including digital health services, to improve efficiency, accessibility, and transparency.”
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are competing to develop AI capabilities across all sectors, including healthcare. Annual growth in the contribution of AI is expected to range between 20% and 34% per year across the region, with the fastest growth in the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia.
According to a November report by the Middle East Institute, “The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, especially, are pursuing the development of indigenous AI ecosystems, each seeking to attain the regional upper hand, throwing their capital behind their stated national AI aims.”
Middle East’s health
The integration of AI in Middle Eastern healthcare systems is poised to streamline processes, improve patient outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency. According to a PwC analysis, AI has the potential to inject $320 billion into the region’s economy by 2030.
Notably, the AI and robotics integration in the Middle East’s medical sector market has grown from $78 billion in 2021 to an expected $320 billion by 2030, noted Deloitte’s report.
The report added that the integration of robotics has also been paramount. The robotics sector was projected to generate $626 million in 2024 and grow to $811 million by 2028 in the region, with an average annual growth rate estimated at 6.7% for the period.
The deployment of AI in healthcare by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is outpacing that of other Middle Eastern nations. “Buoyed by a growing interest in preventative care strategies and an openness to deploying emerging technologies, healthcare expenditure in the Gulf Cooperation Council is predicted to reach $135.5 billion by 2027,” according to the World Economic Forum in October.
A July report by PWC highlighted the GenAI market opportunity across the GCC, estimating a potential overall economic impact of $23.5 billion annually by 2030.
With healthcare being one of the key industries affected, the research found that GenAI-driven advancements would have the most significant impact on Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Notable benefits are expected in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
UAE health boom
AI has been an integral part of the UAE development strategy. This was signaled by the fact the UAE was the first country to appoint an AI minister, according to Deloitte.
The integration of AI into healthcare, finance, manufacturing, logistics, and tourism industries has the potential to significantly enhance the UAE’s GDP. According to the Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the UAE report, “AI could contribute $96 billion to the U.A.E.’s GDP by 2030.” That would account for approximately 13.6% of the country’s total GDP.
The UAE is poised to build a resilient system utilizing the power of technology to improve health outcomes and generate revenue. The Medical Technology market in the United Arab Emirates is expected to generate a revenue of $3.29 billion by 2025, according to Statista.
To advance its healthcare initiatives, the UAE signed an agreement with U.S. software company Care AI in 2023. According to the Emirates Health Services website, the agreement targeted utilizing generative AI technology for patient room monitoring systems.
These systems, powered by smart and virtual care nursing platforms, were designed to be implemented in emergency departments, operating rooms, intensive care units, neonatal units, and other areas to improve patient care.
Through digitization, the UAE aims to streamline access to medical services for foreigners, positioning itself as a top medical tourism destination. In 2024, HealthStay.io, an AI-driven sales and booking solution, launched its world-first AI-powered sales and booking management solution in the UAE.
In partnership with Dubai Health Experience, the platform will serve as a bridge between medical tourists and healthcare providers in Dubai, automating the entire process.
The UAE is also leveraging robotics. According to Fast Company Middle East, a business media platform, the medical robotics market in the UAE is expected to reach $182 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 14.2% from 2020 to 2025.
Healthcare in Saudi Arabia
Through its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is focused on transforming its healthcare sector. The country established its Health Sector Transformation Program in 2021 to provide “inclusive health services” to 88% of the population and implement a unified digital medical records system for 100% of locals by 2025, as noted in the Deloitte report.
A 2024 report by Grand View Research, a business consulting firm, projects the Saudi Arabian digital health market will reach $6.8 billion by 2030. The growth is expected to be driven by the introduction of virtual hospitals and e-healthcare services and platforms.
In March 2022, Saudi Arabia launched Seha Virtual Hospital, the country’s first and largest e-health platform, offering more than 30 specialized services and support to 130 hospitals nationwide. This initiative is anticipated to further boost market growth.
Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system is witnessing an unprecedented development in AI adoption. A McKinsey & Co. analysis forecasts that by 2030, AI could unlock $15 to $27 billion in economic value for the medical sector.
The country has significantly increased its expenditure in the sector. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2023, Saudi Arabia invested $50 billion in digital health services to improve efficiency, accessibility, and transparency. This includes the world’s largest health information exchange, which integrates data from 5,000 government and private health institutions.
AI is integrated into several medical practices in Saudi Arabia. For example, King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh uses AI for cancer diagnosis and treatment planning, Deloitte noted.
In addition, the country increasingly utilizes robotic systems in surgery. In September, the cardiac team at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh successfully performed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant on a 16-year-old boy suffering from end-stage heart failure.
Combined with AI, the robot worked on providing real-time analytics during surgery, “continuously processing data, offering clinical insights and allowing for instant adjustments,” Arab News reported.
Data collected during surgery was analyzed to refine future techniques. Feras Khaliel, head of cardiac surgery and director of the robotics and minimally invasive surgery program at the hospital and research center, told Arab News in October that alongside human surgeons’ expertise, “AI will play a growing role in surgery, becoming a real-time partner in the operating room, offering predictive insights and optimizing surgical pathways.”
The precision achieved during the operation, he said, “would have been impossible using conventional techniques.”
Implementation challenges
Despite the rapidly developing technologies, healthcare is still “below average” in its adoption of AI compared to other industries, according to the World Economic Forum’s latest whitepaper in January.
That is because the rollout of AI services raises several concerns. The whitepaper highlighted that “the inherently sensitive nature of health, where the protection of individuals is paramount, leads to a highly risk-averse environment.”
Additionally, skepticism toward AI, as highlighted by consumer sentiment surveys, presents a significant obstacle, the whitepaper added.
The high cost of AI implementation remains a challenge among Middle Eastern countries. “While larger, wealthier nations in the region have made significant investments in AI and robotics, smaller countries may face financial constraints,” said the Deloitte report.
It added that making these technologies accessible to all populations, regardless of income level, “is a challenge that will need to be addressed.”
A skill shortage in the region presents another obstacle. According to the report, “The Middle East still faces a shortage of professionals trained in AI, robotics, and data science.”
Filling this gap will require additional investment in training and education for healthcare technology specialists. According to Caroline Green from the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford in an interview with the BBC, “It is important that people using these tools are properly trained in doing so, meaning they understand and know how to mitigate risks from technological limitations … such as the possibility for wrong information being given.”
According to Deloitte’s report, the Middle East must continue to invest in robust data infrastructure to support its healthcare systems. Ensuring that healthcare providers have access to accurate, high-quality data will be crucial for the success of AI initiatives.
This article first appeared in March’s print edition of Business Monthly.
