Abu Dhabi Pioneers Collaborative Approach to Responsible AI in Healthcare at Health Leaders Roundtable

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, convened senior international government officials at the Health Leaders Roundtable to shape a Declaration on AI governance principles for healthcare. Held on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Global Health Week (ADGHW), it considered the challenges and opportunities in unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), and explored key principles in the governance of AI in healthcare.
Hosted together with PwC Middle East, findings from the roundtable will inform the development of a collaborative approach that will serve as a reference for governments, health systems, and innovators to ensure that AI's integration into healthcare systems is transparent, responsible, and inclusive.
His Excellency Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, added: 'AI is not tomorrow's technology, it is today's reality. While many of us are adapting to its rise, our children will grow up with it as the norm. That's why the decisions we make today, around ethics, equity, and safety, must be made together. Through this declaration, we will establish a globally accessible guideline that extends beyond borders and commercial interests. This document is a call to action for governments, innovators, and healthcare leaders everywhere.'
The forthcoming Declaration on governance principles for AI in healthcare will outline guiding principles for responsible AI deployment to improve health outcomes and protect patient rights. Designed as a globally accessible resource, the declaration will inspire unified governance and serve as a trusted reference for stakeholders worldwide.
In her opening remarks at the Roundtable, Her Excellency Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, stated: 'AI has extraordinary potential in healthcare. It is already transforming how we deliver care, how we diagnose, and how we discover. But with great power comes great responsibility. In Abu Dhabi, we are harnessing AI as our engine and policy as our platform, turning data into life-saving insight, and insight into meaningful action. Our vision is to deliver healthcare that is precise, proactive, and personal and to do so in a way that puts people, not technology, at the centre.'
During the Roundtable, participants emphasised the need for agile legal and regulatory frameworks to enable the safe and ethical application of AI in healthcare, while enabling innovation. With an emphasis on the need for a human-centred approach, discussions explored key themes including standardisation of data, data privacy and trust, skills development and community engagement.
Key insights from the Roundtable highlight the need for:
Transparent testing frameworks to ensure AI tools meet real-world clinical standards;
Collaborative ecosystems that unite regulators, industry, academia, and civil society across geographies;
Responsible data access that protects privacy, ensure security, and clarify ownership;
Addressing the AI skills gap by scaling education and awareness across healthcare systems and prepare healthcare workforces for a new era.
Aligning AI use cases with real-world patient and system challenges, avoiding technology for technology's sake.
The Health Leaders Roundtable brought together a distinguished group of local and international voices, including government officials, AI experts, healthcare executives, and multilateral organisations, to explore the shared principles and practices needed to deploy AI responsibly, effectively, and equitably.
These themes build on Abu Dhabi's rapidly advancing AI ecosystem, which in the field of health, is taking billions of data points, and turning them into life-changing insights.
Supporting the Emirates's approach is the Global AI Healthcare Academy, launched by DoH, which equips healthcare professionals worldwide with theoretical knowledge and hands-on training needed to implement AI technologies effectively, setting a global standard for capacity building. In addition, Malaffi – the region's first Health Information Exchange – provides secure, real-time access to patient data across both public and private healthcare providers. This seamless data integration is crucial for enabling AI tools to be deployed safely, efficiently, and at scale.
ADGHW is a major government initiative from DoH, and serves as a platform for innovation and collaboration under the 2025 theme 'Towards Longevity: Redefining Health and Well-being.' By convening diverse stakeholders from around the world, ADGHW is a community without borders that seeks to advance the future of health and well-being.

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