Abu Dhabi's ‘digital twin' to detect, address health crises

In a major leap toward proactive healthcare, Abu Dhabi is building a first-of-its-kind system designed to continuously predict, prevent, and swiftly respond to public health challenges in real time.
The Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH) has teamed up with Microsoft to co-develop an advanced 'Population Health Intelligence' framework, to create a digital twin of the emirate, described as the world's first true learning health system.
Focus areas
The system is set to address key population health challenges, including chronic disease prevention, early detection, and promoting health equity.
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With health systems globally struggling under the weight of fragmented data and reactive care models, Abu Dhabi's initiative marks a shift towards data-led, AI-powered interventions.
As nations move from reactive to predictive healthcare, the UAE capital aims to lead the charge by transforming billions of data points into life-saving insights and tailored public health strategies.
How it works
The Population Health Intelligence framework operates on two main pillars:
Predict: A digital twin of Abu Dhabi will be created, integrating clinical, behavioural, environmental, and demographic data into a unified model. AI will use this to proactively identify health anomalies and trigger early interventions.
Prevent and act: AI-powered recommendations will be generated at the individual, district, and population levels. These context-aware suggestions will guide healthcare decisions, simulate future outcomes of potential interventions, and enable real-time, coordinated responses.
In line with strict data privacy standards, the DoH has assured that all patient data will be managed with the highest levels of confidentiality and security, in compliance with robust privacy regulations.
This initiative embeds intelligence into every layer of the health system supporting Abu Dhabi's goal to move from reactive care to a proactive healthspan for all.
How data-driven partnerships revolutionize public health
Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH, emphasised the transformative vision behind the project, said, 'Our mission goes beyond delivering healthcare, we are shaping a new era of longevity, where data, prevention, and innovation come together to empower healthier lives. Through advanced technologies, global collaboration, and bold policy thinking, we are building a resilient health ecosystem that anticipates needs, addresses disparities, and unlocks the full potential of every individual. Abu Dhabi is proud to lead the charge in redefining what health systems can achieve when informed by data-led insights, and driven by purpose.'
Microsoft will bring its cloud and AI capabilities to the table, helping DoH build, integrate, and scale the framework within Abu Dhabi's existing digital health ecosystem.
The partnership will also fuel knowledge exchange through global reports and conferences, enabling other health systems to adopt similar models.
Naim Yazbeck, Country General Manager at Microsoft UAE, said,
'This collaboration reflects the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies in solving some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. By enabling secure, real-time insights across population-level data, we are partnering with the Department of Health -- Abu Dhabi to build the digital foundations of a more predictive, personalised, and resilient healthcare system. Together, we are driving innovation that places data and intelligence at the heart of proactive care.'

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