How digital innovation is reshaping healthcare in the Middle East

The Middle East’s healthcare sector is booming. Buoyed by a growing interest in preventative care strategies and an openness to deploying emerging technologies, healthcare expenditure in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is predicted to reach $135.5 billion by 2027.

From AI and robotics to genomic medicine and digital healthcare infrastructure, the rollout of new technologies is fuelling innovation, offering greater efficiency and improving patient care.

Here’s how digital transformation is shaping a new healthcare landscape in the GCC – which consists of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Investment into the digitalization of health systems can significantly improve performance and health outcomes, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

In the GCC, digitalization and public-private collaborations have already had a sizable impact on health spending, according to Alpen Capital. In 2023, for example, Saudi Arabia allocated more than $50 billion of investment into a raft of initiatives, including digital health services to improve efficiency, accessibility and transparency in healthcare.

Focusing on health technology doesn’t just offer patient benefits; it has the potential to generate further economic gains: McKinsey analysis found that more widespread adoption of digital healthcare solutions could unlock $15 billion to $27 billion more economic benefits to Saudi Arabia’s health system as a whole by 2030.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia partnered with health data platform provider Orion Health to deliver the world's largest health information exchange, which will take data from 5,000 government and private health institutions and harness the data of 32 million people. These kinds of initiatives can save lives: better management of health information can help healthcare providers offer more effective and timely prevention and interventions.

Similarly, the UAE is pursuing digital twin projects in healthcare, where virtual models are made of physical objects. In medicine, digital twins offer opportunities across precision medicine, cancer care and individualized training. By running accurate simulations using digital twins that mirror a patient’s exact physiology, doctors can make better-informed decisions that can improve patient outcomes and minimize harm.

GCC countries are also increasingly investing in genomic medicine, which can be used to identify hereditary conditions and predict when individuals are at a high risk of developing certain conditions, such as cancer.

Bahrain, for example, has increased its investment in genomic medicine, increasing its gene sequencing capacity to 20,000 whole genomes per year – 2.5 times its previous capacity. Genomic projects have also been launched in UAE and as part of Saudi Arabia’s human genome programme.

Increasing digitalization and public-private collaborations, coupled with a burgeoning medical tourism industry are further boosting the sector.

Technology adoption will play a key role in supporting growth. PwC forecasts that AI could contribute US$320 billion to Middle East economies by 2030, with healthcare predicted to offer some of the biggest gains, relative to its current size.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already playing a growing role in healthcare in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s National AI Strategy 2031 is bringing AI tools and technology to sectors, including healthcare, and local providers are benefiting. Altib, the Middle East’s largest AI-based digital health platform raised $44 million in 2022 to develop fully integrated primary care, supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Generative AI, in particular, has wide ranging applications for improving patient experience, and offers significant potential as it is scaled up. In UAE, which was the first country in the world to appoint an AI minister in the world, the nation’s health service signed an agreement with US software company Care AI in 2023.

The goal of the partnership is to advance patient care outcomes by leveraging generative AI and offering access to a “smart” virtual care nursing platform, covering emergency departments, operating rooms, intensive care units and neonatal units.

In Kuwait’s Jaber Hospital, AI is being used in surgeries, endoscopic procedures, cardiac monitoring tools and to enhance robots. In 2023, surgeons in the country began deploying 3D devices to create sophisticated visualizations of patients' internal organs that can be used during procedures.

The procedure marked the first instance of usage of the Olympus device in the Gulf region. This technology assists surgeons during procedures. The country also performed its first endoscopic operation using AI to pinpoint colon and stomach tumours which would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.

And in Bahrain, the nation’s commitment to healthcare innovation has been highlighted by the newly-opened King Hamad American Mission Hospital – with the facility’s focus on cutting-edge technologies in digital medicine and AI reflecting the country’s digital advancements across other sectors, such as sport and technology.

The use of robots in healthcare applications offers a chance to improve precision, reduce human to human transmission of diseases, and improve workplace safety and efficiency.

Robots are also being trialled to deliver elderly care and reduce patient anxiety, for example, and universities in the Middle East and Europe have collaborated to test the use of robotics in this setting. In Saudi Arabia, the number of robotics companies registered reached 2,344 in the second quarter of 2023, up from 1,537 the previous year, according to the Saudi Ministry of Commerce.

In Bahrain, robots have already been integrated into patient treatment. In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, Bahrain was the first GCC country to deploy robots in healthcare settings to minimize exposure to COVID-19.

The country’s health authorities used robots to disinfect potentially hazardous areas, transport medicine and move heavy medical devices in hospitals. Robots were equipped with thermal cameras to register body temperature and facial recognition allowed tailored care and effective monitoring from a control centre. This reduced the risk of COVID-19 transmission to medical personnel by 80%.

The country also plans to use robots to provide nursing care at health centres. This will help to reduce the transmission of disease and protect sanitation workers from consistent exposure to chemicals. The robots will also improve efficiency by reducing the time and effort spent on routine tasks.

As well as broadening access to healthcare in rural areas, telemedicine enables patients to tap into global expertise. In Oman, leaders have proposed a growing role for telemedicine to tackle rare diseases. The initiative seeks to build an electronic platform for all GCC countries, enabling doctors to monitor various rare conditions while furthering collaboration.

Given the capability of telemedicine to facilitate cross-border healthcare services, it is imperative to prioritize collaborative efforts between nations. Government roadmaps such as Saudi’s Vision 2030 provide strong foundations for public-private partnerships and regional collaboration.

One notable example is Bahrain’s talks for an agreement to connect to Saudi Arabia’s Seha Virtual Hospital. The hospital is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to digitalize its health sector and has a growing network of more than 170 hospitals. It offers specialized medical services remotely, meaning patients can visit their local hospitals and attend real-time video sessions with specialists from further afield.

Bahrain has also widened access to telemedicine and remote consultations, via integrated mobile apps, (BeAware) and (Sehati). Capitalizing on the country’s strong ICT infrastructure, the government has issued directives to support the integration of citizens’ digital records. Technology upgrades are improving user experience and integrating with AI.

The supportive ecosystem for healthcare companies is providing fertile ground for entrepreneurs across the region. In Bahrain, doctors Dr Mai Mattar and Dr Nawal Al Hamar are developing a teleradiology services platform for remote radiological analysis and diagnosis, while Doctori, a Bahraini healthtech startup, serves more than 30,000 users worldwide through 400 health providers.

Elsewhere, UAE-based Altibbi – the largest digital health platform in the region – has conducted more than five million telehealth consultations and recently launched its Weqaya men’s health subscription plan, promoting preventative and primary healthcare.

As technological advances and digital infrastructure continue to reshape the region’s healthcare sector, the integration of technology and digital services will continue to play a critical role in improving patient care.

The rapid and continued transformation of the Middle East’s healthcare sector has the potential not only to transform the health outcomes of its own citizens, but to offer models of innovation and efficiency for other countries too.