Al Shifaa Summit for Integrative Medicine, an initiative of the UAE Integrative Medicine Council, will return for its second edition from 20 to 22 October 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, as part of Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026.
The three-day event will bring together experts, practitioners, researchers and innovators from the UAE and around the world to explore developments shaping integrative medicine.
Under the theme “Tradition, Science and the Future of Integrative Medicine”, the Summit will explore traditional and complementary knowledge and practices, including Emirati Traditional Medicine, alongside scientific research, education and training, regulation, quality and safety.
It will also examine how innovation, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies can contribute to the field’s development, supporting the Council’s work to build a national framework, strengthen the integrative medicine ecosystem and foster partnerships and knowledge exchange.
A three-day programme across three main areas
The three-day programme includes an interactive exhibition, the Exchange Hub and the Pledge Zone.
The interactive exhibition explores three key zones: Traditional Knowledge, Scientific Foundations and Building the Integrative Medicine Ecosystem.
It traces the progression from documenting knowledge and practices to research, evaluation and the development of evidence-based practices.
The Exchange Hub will host sessions and open discussions covering regulation and quality, clinical evidence and research, education, innovation, scientific foundations and traditional knowledge. It will also explore opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders.
The Pledge Zone invites visitors to select a pledge that reflects their understanding of integrative medicine. Visitors can contribute through a digital experience inspired by the aflaj irrigation system.
The experience reflects how knowledge and expertise can come together to build a shared future for integrative medicine.
Safeya Abdulazeez Al Maqtari, Acting Secretary General of the UAE Integrative Medicine Council, said: “The UAE Integrative Medicine Council continues to develop the integrative medicine ecosystem in the UAE by supporting governance and regulation, and strengthening research and evaluation. This work recognises the diversity of traditional and complementary practices and their integration with conventional medicine to support a more holistic approach to healthcare.
It involves moving from describing knowledge and practices to understanding their scientific foundations and evaluating them against clear standards of quality and safety, establishing a clearer and more responsible basis for its development.”
Her Excellency added: “Al Shifaa Summit brings this expertise and experience together in one space, providing a platform for broader dialogue on the future of integrative medicine. It supports the UAE’s efforts to build a comprehensive and responsible model for the field, with an impact that extends beyond the Summit through partnerships and knowledge exchange.”
Programme highlights
Al Shifaa Summit will feature academic, research and healthcare institutions from the UAE and internationally, including UAE University, Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine, NYU Abu Dhabi, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, Virginia University of Integrative Medicine, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, NICM Health Research Institute, Dubai Medical University and the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health. Participants will also include policymakers, healthcare leaders, practitioners, researchers, academics and industry representatives across the exhibition and programme.
Panel sessions will include “Regulation in Action: Ensuring Quality and Accountability in Integrative Medicine Practice”, examining how regulation can strengthen standards of care, and “Defining the Evidence Standard in IM: A Global Health Perspective”, featuring experts from the World Health Organization and UAE health authorities.
Other discussions will address innovation and artificial intelligence, education and training, scientific research, and the documentation and evaluation of traditional knowledge to inform evidence-based practices.