Abu Dhabi is leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen its healthcare capabilities, aiming to identify chronic diseases—such as diabetes and cancer—at earlier, more treatable stages. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) introduced these AI-driven tools during the GITEX Global 2025 event, as part of its effort to support healthier, longer lives for its population.
At the heart of this initiative lies the “patient risk profile,” an AI model that evaluates an individual’s lifetime medical data to estimate their probability of developing up to 14 different conditions, including various cancers and diabetes. Physicians receive not just an overall risk score, but also insight into which specific indicators—such as lab results or previous diagnostics—contributed to that risk.
One key component enabling this system is Malaffi, Abu Dhabi’s health information exchange platform. Thanks to Malaffi, patient records are shared seamlessly across hospitals and clinics, allowing any treating physician—even one seeing the patient for the first time—to view the risk profile and underlying health history.
The AI tools are part of a broader, three-pillar healthcare strategy that focuses on longevity, excellence of care, and system resilience.
DoH officials emphasize that these AI capabilities are meant to assist, not replace, medical professionals. The system is designed with “explainability” in mind: it provides context about why certain risks are flagged, enabling doctors to apply their judgment and clinical expertise in deciding how to act.
By catching diseases earlier, the UAE aims to shift its health system from reactive treatment toward preventive care—potentially reducing the burden of chronic disease and associated costs.