In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, the Department of Health—Abu Dhabi (DoH), today launched its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab at Arab Health 2019, the largest medical exhibition in the Middle East taking place at the Dubai World Centre from January 28 to 31. The AI Lab is a first-of-its-kind initiative by a healthcare regulator in the region, dedicated to developing healthcare solutions through emerging technologies including AI, Blockchain, genomics, predictive analytics and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), among others. The launch was led by H.E Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of DoH, at the DoH pavilion B30 located in Hall 5. 

The AI Lab aims to foster a new culture and inspire unique ways of working for innovators in the healthcare sector. Bringing together individuals, industry experts and service providers, the AI Lab provides a safe space of co-creation, where idea-owners can collaborate with innovation teams to develop, test, and launch state-of-the-art healthcare solutions powered by emerging technologies. Innovation at the AI Lab will be focused on four key strategic pillars: wellness & prevention; chronic disease management; clinical care, and regulatory management. 

H.E. Al Hamed said: “In line with our strategy to accelerate the adoption of AI within Abu Dhabi’s healthcare industry, we are dedicated to transforming the way healthcare is delivered in the Emirate. In our modern world, we are certain that the fusion of healthcare and technology is imperative. This is why we are harnessing the power of AI to deliver cutting-edge initiatives through our newly launched AI Lab, which is fully aligned with the Abu Dhabi Government’s Ghadan 21 and AI agendas.” 

“We are paving the way for a new wave of intelligent healthcare, innovation and cross-industrial collaboration to develop solutions that will not only improve the health and wellbeing of our people, but also enhance the quality of healthcare services delivered across the board” Al Hamed continued. 

Following its debut, the AI Lab unveiled its latest innovations to visitors at Arab Health 2019. Developed exclusively for the people of Abu Dhabi, “My Health Coach” is a one-of-a-kind health and wellness mobile application, designed to provide citizens and residents with the tools they need to optimise their wellbeing through an engaging and interactive platform. The app is now available for DoH employees following a period of six months where it will be available for Abu Dhabi Government employees. By the end of this year, the app will be open to the public. The app is set to be officially released to the public by end of this year. Available in both English and Arabic, and compatible across all major operating systems, the app seamlessly syncs to users’ fitness trackers of choice, providing personalised, informative and anticipatory coaching and guidance, according to the data collected by users. 

As part of its ongoing participation at Arab Health, DoH’s AI Lab will be hosting a set of workshops and interactive sessions aimed at developing smart solutions for four key healthcare challenges under themes including ‘Personalised medicine and genomics’, ‘Patient engagement and advocacy’ as well as ‘Wellness and prevention’. 

Arab Health 2019 will see the participation of over 4,150 companies participating from 166 countries. Visitors at the DoH pavilion will have the opportunity to learn more about the latest programs and initiatives launched by the healthcare sector in the Emirate, and step into an immersive journey featuring several interactive AI experiences. 

Recognising the central role Artificial Intelligence plays and the benefits to be gained from its use in healthcare, DoH is the first entity in the region to develop and launch an artificial intelligence policy for the healthcare sector. 

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