Abu Dhabi: Private hospital groups in Abu Dhabi are turning to AI to take over documentation and administrative work, so doctors can spend consultations talking with patients instead of typing.
“We are currently building a new patient journey which allows the doctor to spend a lot more time engaged in a meaningful conversation with the patient vs behind a computer screen,” Christopher Habib, Chief Strategy Officer at NMC Healthcare, told Gulf News at the Future Health Summit 2026.
For Habib, the technology is a means to an end. “AI itself is not the objective. The objective is a patient spending less time dealing with administration, a clinician spending more time with their patient,” he said, highlighting the importance of the right information being available when clinical decisions are made, to provide tailor-made care to the patients.
Dr. Mohammad Fityan, Group Chief Medical Officer at Burjeel Holdings, described the same priority. AI tools in areas such as clinical documentation and workflow automation are helping “improve efficiency and free up more time for patient care”, he said.
He was clear about where AI sits in the clinical picture.
What patients may notice
The difference, according to Dr. Fityan, is that care feels joined up. “Information would follow them throughout their journey, reducing delays and unnecessary repetition," he said.
These efforts ultimately would help patients to feel that their care is connected rather than fragmented across multiple services.
Habib stressed that technology works best alongside a long-term relationship with a doctor. “AI is not a substitute for good primary care,” he said. “The combination of good data, AI and a doctor who understands the patient over time is where I believe the real opportunity lies.”
His advice for residents is simple: “Don’t wait until you are sick to engage with healthcare. Find a primary care physician you trust, see them regularly and follow the screening recommendations appropriate for your age, medical history and individual risk factors.”
Abu Dhabi’s healthcare push
Both experts link the shift to the emirate’s wider healthcare push. Dr. Fityan pointed to investment in genomics, precision medicine and clinical research, led by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi and partners across the sector.
For residents, he said, that means “greater access to advanced treatments, specialist expertise, and innovative care closer to home.”
According to Habib, Abu Dhabi’s strength is access.
“Abu Dhabi has built substantial healthcare capacity while continuing to invest in prevention, precision medicine, genomics and AI.”
He added that the emirate has been particularly ambitious about bringing healthcare, life sciences, technology and regulation into the same conversation.
For an ordinary resident, the result should be tangible, in his opinion: “better access, earlier diagnosis and more years lived in good health.”