Abu Dhabi Health Delegation Concludes Inaugural Visit to China, Opening New Pathways to Advance AI, Precision Medicine and Next-Gen Therapies

17 Oct, 2026:

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, has concluded its inaugural health and life sciences mission to China, advancing priority areas of collaboration designed to accelerate the translation of scientific and technological innovation into better health outcomes. The mission brought Abu Dhabi’s health and life sciences ecosystem together with leading Chinese healthcare institutions, universities and innovators through 32 meetings and site visits across Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Moving beyond technology exchange, discussions identified opportunities to connect China’s scientific, technological and manufacturing capabilities with Abu Dhabi’s integrated healthcare ecosystem, population-scale data and genomics, clinical infrastructure and agile regulatory environment. Potential pathways explored included joint research and clinical studies, technology validation and adoption, knowledge transfer and manufacturing, as well as opportunities to develop and scale solutions from Abu Dhabi to regional and international markets.

H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Shaping the future of healthcare requires health ecosystems to connect scientific discovery and evidence with effective implementation and access to care. Innovation alone cannot transform healthcare. China brings exceptional scientific, technological and manufacturing capabilities, while Abu Dhabi offers an integrated environment where innovation can be developed, validated, applied and responsibly scaled. Through this mission, we have identified clear opportunities to combine these strengths across artificial intelligence, precision medicine, advanced therapies and diagnostics. Our focus now is on translating these opportunities into meaningful partnerships that deliver better health outcomes for communities in Abu Dhabi, China and around the world.”

From scientific discovery to advanced therapies

Across engagements with leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, the delegation explored opportunities to accelerate the development and accessibility of next-generation treatments. Discussions spanning advanced cell therapies, biologics, drug discovery and organoid-based research examined opportunities for clinical research, evidence generation and knowledge transfer. The mission also explored how Abu Dhabi’s diverse patient population, genomic capabilities and clinical research environment could support the validation of therapies across different populations and help shorten the pathway from scientific discovery to patient access.

Connecting AI, robotics and healthcare delivery

Through engagements spanning AI-native hospitals, surgical robotics, laboratory automation, advanced imaging and brain-computer interfaces, discussions explored potential pathways for clinical evaluation, joint development, specialised training and responsible technology adoption. This included opportunities to move beyond individual AI applications towards connected healthcare intelligence across the patient journey, as well as exploring how advanced surgical and diagnostic technologies could be validated within Abu Dhabi’s clinical environment and potentially scaled internationally.

Advancing earlier detection and precision cancer care

Precision oncology was another major focus, with engagements exploring how advanced molecular diagnostics, imaging, genomics and AI could transform the cancer pathway from earlier screening and diagnosis through treatment selection and recurrence monitoring. Discussions considered how Chinese diagnostic innovation could connect with Abu Dhabi’s genomic, health-data and clinical research infrastructure to validate emerging technologies across diverse populations, generate new evidence and accelerate their integration into clinical practice.

Turning population-scale data into better health

Building on Abu Dhabi’s existing genomics and biobanking capabilities, engagements also explored opportunities to connect population-scale biological data with advanced multi-omics, AI and research capabilities. Potential areas of collaboration include deepening understanding of diseases affecting local populations, supporting earlier identification of health risks, shortening diagnostic journeys for rare diseases and accelerating the development of more precise diagnostics, treatments and prevention strategies.

The relationships established in China will continue through Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, taking place from 20 to 22 October, with 24 organisations invited to participate. The Summit will provide an immediate platform to progress discussions from exploration towards tangible research, clinical, investment and innovation partnerships.

Led by DoH, the mission brought together representatives from across Abu Dhabi’s health and life sciences ecosystem, including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, PureHealth, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), L’IMAD alongside DoH leadership and technical experts.

The mission builds on Abu Dhabi’s wider ambition to serve as a globally connected platform for intelligent life sciences, contributing to the continued adoption of healthcare innovation, and helping develop, validate and scale it to improve health outcomes locally and internationally.