Health Technology Assessment System in the UAE: From System Analysis and Understanding toward System Building and Strengthening
Research collaboration led by Canadian University Dubai with McGill University and the University of Bonn, funded by the Dubai Future Foundation (Dubai RDI Program, 2025–2027) — analysing and building a digital, AI-ready health technology assessment system for the UAE.
Abstract
Lead: Canadian University Dubai · Partners: McGill University, University of Bonn (associated partner), UAE health authorities · Funding: Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Program, granted to the lead institution
Health technology assessment (HTA) informs which medicines, devices and digital tools a health system adopts and pays for. This project analyses the HTA system in the United Arab Emirates and works toward a technology-driven, digitised HTA system: it starts with public and private HTA organisations in Dubai and then scales to the national level for centralised, coordinated decision-making. The mixed-methods design combines a literature review, an institutional survey developed by the World Health Organization, in-depth key-informant interviews, and consultations with experts in public health, technology, data, AI and legislation. The results are meant to provide evidence for Dubai, the UAE and the wider Gulf and Middle East region, and to support universal health coverage.
Our role
The Albarqouni Lab is an associated partner: Prof. Albarqouni serves as co-PI, and the lab receives no share of the grant. We contribute expertise in AI and digital technologies for health, for example in a scoping review of how AI and digital technologies are integrated into HTA worldwide (Alkhaldi et al., Systematic Reviews 2026).
