Governments in the Middle East and Africa are creating new opportunities in digital health and expanding the use of AI and machine learning in life sciences by building national programs to generate structured, research-grade datasets. Countries such as Saudi Arabia are pursuing the Saudi Human Genome Program, which sequences large population cohorts and provides variation data for ML-driven biomarker discovery and disease risk models. The UAE is implementing a national genomics strategy in parallel with the Abu Dhabi Genome Program, both of which will integrate genome sequencing and hospital information systems to create datasets that support AI-enabled clinical decision-making tools. Qatar continues to expand the Qatar Genome Program, which combines whole genome data with phenotypic records to train predictive models for genetic and metabolic diseases.
The government also promotes biotechnology research through nationally supported centers focused on molecular biology, vaccine development, and sequencing. These include a national facility within the South African Medical Research Council Genomics Center that uses high-throughput sequencing to support infectious disease surveillance and computational biology research. Egypt's Human Genome Project has added a new source of standardized genomic data for AI-assisted variation interpretation and precision medicine. As these programs expand, the amount of structured clinical and genomic information available for AI training will increase across the region.
UAE life science AI/machine learning market trends
The UAE has established itself as a center of rapid development across the Middle East and Africa, supported by a national strategy that prioritizes AI integration, genomics and digital health modernization at scale. The National Genome Strategy launched in 2023 and the Abu Dhabi Genome Program launched in 2021 form the core of this progress. These efforts will generate population-scale sequencing data and incorporate genomic insights into clinical workflows across hospitals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, published in 2017, provides a policy framework to guide the deployment of machine learning tools in healthcare, research, and public health surveillance.
The UAE also serves as a platform for multinational biotechnology cooperation. Research institutes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are partnering with global companies to develop algorithms for genome interpretation, tumor biomarker analysis, and computational drug discovery. Projects associated with research programs at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, New York University Abu Dhabi Genome Technology Center, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi support AI-assisted modeling in areas such as genetic blood disorders, metabolic diseases, and rare disease diagnosis.
