Arab youth explore impact of AI on healthcare

The Arab Youth Center’s 4th ‘Arab Youth Tech Fellowship Programme’ is currently under way, taking place at the Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy with the participation of 23 Arab youth from eight nations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Morocco. The 12-day agenda covers four main tracks: Artificial Intelligence, Health Technology, Climate Tech & Sustainability, and Web3, and will conclude on 17th October, 2025.

Day two, held under the central theme of “Health Tech,” spotlighted advanced medical technologies and AI’s role in enhancing healthcare; and opened with a keynote on future global trends, stressing the need for intelligent solutions to elevate quality of life and boost the efficiency of healthcare systems across the Arab world.

Health technology and artificial intelligence

During the day’s activities, Dr. Bashayer Mohammed Mousa from the University of Sharjah presented insights into research in AI-powered health technologies, explaining how such innovations can contribute to developing more accurate diagnostic and treatment tools. She also highlighted how AI opens new horizons for young researchers by linking medical analysis to smart data and transforming it into practical applications.

Digital twins experience debuts in the Gulf

A key highlight of the second day was the first-ever presentation of the Human Digital Twin experience in the Gulf region. The interactive workshop, led by Dr. Jamil El-Imad from Imperial College London and streamed via Zoom, demonstrated how digital twin applications can simulate the human body representing a substantial advancement in modern medicine. These technologies enable researchers and doctors to monitor vital signs in real time, predict the progression of health conditions with high precision, and virtually test treatment plans before implementation.

Beyond improving diagnostic accuracy, these innovations also save time, reduce costly traditional testing, and optimize healthcare resource utilization, contributing positively to the medical economy and the sustainability of healthcare systems. The experience served as an inspiring moment for participants, showcasing the transformative potential of AI in redefining system efficiency and care quality across the healthcare sector.

Workshops and field visits

The day continued with a practical workshop titled “Startups: Pitching and storytelling skills”, conducted by Hind Khalifat from Daraya Speaker Platform. The session trained attendees in presenting entrepreneurial ideas through compelling storytelling, designed to clearly and persuasively convey a project’s vision to investors, key stakeholders, and business incubators, ultimately boosting opportunities for support, expansion, and growth.

The second day concluded with a tour of “StartAD,” where participants learned about the accelerator’s efforts towards nurturing tech startups and driving the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. They also gained insights into transforming innovative ideas into scalable solutions, in line with the UAE’s strategy to attract Arab talent and foster innovation-driven growth.

Building future Arab tech leaders

The Arab Youth Tech Fellowship Programme is one of several initiatives by the Arab Youth Center designed to empower young Arabs across key sectors that shape the future including technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, environment and sustainability, media, identity, and culture with the goal of building a generation of young leaders capable of shaping a brighter future for the Arab world.

This initiative is supported by a network of strategic partners that includes the Office of Artificial Intelligence and Microsoft, along with Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, University of Sharjah, Imperial College London, e&, StartAD, Daraya Speaker Platform, HG Group, Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy, and KIZAD – Abu Dhabi.

A report earlier this year says that with the rapid development of healthcare technologies, artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in improving the quality of medical services provided in critical care units. The integration of artificial intelligence into ventilator systems is one of the most prominent innovations that contribute to enhancing treatment accuracy, reducing complications and improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Zeyad Alrais, Head of the Emirates Division of Intensive Care at the Emirates Medical Association, who participated in the activities of the twenty-first UAE Critical Care Conference and the Second World Summit of the World Federation of Intensive Care Societies (WFICC), said:''As part of efforts to improve respiratory care for patients in intensive care units, artificial intelligence contributes to providing advanced solutions that include smart ventilation systems that automatically adjust parameters in response to the patient's condition, and adjust the stimuli of inhalation and exhalation.