AI is quietly transforming the way we think about medicine. Chatbots now help triage patients online, wearable devices monitor vital signs in real time and machine learning tools assist radiologists in spotting early signs of disease. These are not futuristic concepts – they are already being tested and used in hospitals around the world. Insights10 – a healthcare-focused market research firm – has projected the UAE’s AI healthcare market to grow from $40 million in 2022 to $720 million by 2030 – an annual growth rate of more than 46 per cent.
But as AI becomes more powerful and pervasive, one truth remains clear: its real-world impact depends not just on the quality of the technology, but on how well people work together to develop and use it.
That is a lesson I’ve learnt first-hand, both as an AI researcher and through my years of involvement with the NYU Abu Dhabi International Hackathon for Social Good. I joined the hackathon as a student, part of the winning team that built a mobile app to help prevent heat stroke among outdoor workers. Since then, I’ve returned as a mentor and judge, and seen how transformative collaborative spaces can be for young technologists. These events are about more than building demos – they simulate the messy, exciting process of turning ideas into solutions that matter.
In my research, I focus on how AI can support clinical decision-making – from predicting stroke risk to generating diagnostic reports from chest X-rays, and improving IVF outcomes using medical image analysis. These projects may sound technical, but they are deeply human. They require working closely with doctors and patients to ensure that the tools we build address real clinical needs and can be trusted in practice. An algorithm is only as useful as its ability to integrate into workflows, support professionals and ultimately improve care.
This is where collaboration comes in. Too often, AI in health care is treated as a purely technical challenge. However, designing tools that clinicians will actually use means involving a range of voices – from healthcare workers and policymakers to ethicists and patients. Engineers need to understand the realities of hospital life, and data scientists must engage with concerns around bias, consent and fairness. These conversations are not optional – they are essential to making sure technology works for everyone.
Spaces like the NYUAD Hackathon help simulate this kind of interdisciplinary teamwork. Students from across the Arab world join forces with mentors from academia, industry and government to tackle complex social issues. The best projects do not emerge from technical genius alone but from diverse teams that combine coding skills with empathy, curiosity and a strong sense of purpose. Over the years, I have seen students prototype tools for early childhood health monitoring, pandemic preparedness and mental health support for displaced communities. These ideas succeed not because they are flashy but because they are grounded in context and built with care.
Over the years, I have seen students prototype tools for early childhood health monitoring, pandemic preparedness and mental health support for displaced communities. These ideas succeed not because they are flashy but because they are grounded in context and built with care
But even with strong teams and good ideas, another challenge looms large: data. AI systems need large, diverse and well-curated datasets – especially in health care, where accuracy is critical. Yet many countries, including those in the Arab world, are still developing the infrastructure and policies needed to support responsible data sharing while protecting privacy and ensuring equitable access. This is an area where regional collaboration and investment can make a major difference.
Looking ahead, emerging technologies such as quantum computing may help tackle some of health care AI’s biggest challenges. Quantum methods could enable faster, more powerful models and new ways of understanding complex datasets. However, technology alone will not solve anything. Whether it is AI or quantum, we need to prepare students to ask better questions, think across disciplines and stay focused on real-world impact.
Such preparation should not begin in university – it should start much earlier. That is why I also dedicate time to teaching AI to K-12 students. It is crucial to introduce these ideas from a young age, and to do so through a holistic lens. Students should learn not just how AI works, but why it matters, who it affects and how to use it responsibly.
This early exposure often feeds into programmes like the hackathon, where former students return as confident contributors and mentors. Eventually, it crosses into the real world – influencing how future doctors, engineers and researchers tackle some of the biggest challenges in health and medicine.
As medicine and technology become ever more entwined, collaboration will only grow in importance. AI has the potential to improve care, reduce costs and save lives – not just by treating illness, but by promoting health. Expanding our focus from lifespan to healthspan will depend on personalised treatment, continuous monitoring and proactive care – all driven by data.
Making that future a reality will require more than breakthroughs. It will require us to build – together – with intention, humility and deep respect for the people at the heart of health care.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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