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- Digital innovation is transforming the healthcare sector, with new technologies fuelling innovation, offering greater efficiency and improving patient care.
- Gulf Cooperation Council countries have seen the impact of digitalization and public-private collaborations on funding and success of healthcare initiatives.
- The rapid transformation of the Middle East’s healthcare sector has the potential to transform health outcomes and offer models for elsewhere. ·
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.
How digital transformation is shaping healthcare
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.
Emerging applications of AI in healthcare
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.
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.
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.
Growing role for robots in healthcare
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%.
Telemedicine for advanced patient care
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.
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The World Economic Forum’s Centre for Health and Healthcare works with governments and businesses to build more resilient, efficient and equitable healthcare systems that embrace new technologies.
Learn more about our impact:
- Global vaccine delivery: Our contribution to COVAX resulted in the delivery of over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines and our efforts in launching Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has helped save more than 13 million lives over the past 20 years.
- Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative: Through this collaborative initiative, we are working to accelerate progress in the discovery, testing and delivery of interventions for Alzheimer’s – building a cohort of 1 million people living with the disease who provide real-world data to researchers worldwide.
- Mental health policy: In partnership with Deloitte, we developed a comprehensive toolkit to assist lawmakers in crafting effective policies related to technology for mental health.
- Global Coalition for Value in Healthcare: We are fostering a sustainable and equitable healthcare industry by launching innovative healthcare hubs to address ineffective spending on global health. In the Netherlands, for example, it has provided care for more than 3,000 patients with type 1 diabetes and enrolled 69 healthcare providers who supported 50,000 mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- UHC2030 Private Sector Constituency: This collaboration with 30 diverse stakeholders plays a crucial role in advocating for universal health coverage and emphasizing the private sector’s potential to contribute to achieving this ambitious goal.
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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.
