The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) convened a Health Leaders Roundtable during Abu Dhabi Global Health Week to develop a Declaration on AI governance principles for healthcare. This initiative aims to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in healthcare and to establish an agile framework for its effective integration. The key principles are rooted in inclusion, equity, and ethics, ensuring patient safety and responsible innovation. Participants included academics, technology experts, and pharmaceuticals leaders from various regions, including Africa, the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

The roundtable, hosted with PwC Middle East, will inform the development of a collaborative approach for governments, health systems, and innovators to ensure AI's integration into healthcare is transparent, responsible, and inclusive. His Excellency Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, emphasized the importance of making decisions around ethics, equity, and safety collectively, stating that the declaration will establish a globally accessible guideline that extends beyond borders and commercial interests. The forthcoming Declaration on governance principles for AI in healthcare will outline guiding principles for responsible AI deployment to improve health outcomes and protect patient rights, serving as a trusted reference for stakeholders worldwide.

Her Excellency Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, highlighted AI's transformative potential in healthcare, emphasizing the need for responsibility. Abu Dhabi is harnessing AI, using policy as a platform to turn data into life-saving insights, with a vision to deliver healthcare that is precise, proactive, and personal, prioritizing people over technology.

The Roundtable discussions emphasized the need for agile legal and regulatory frameworks to enable the safe and ethical application of AI in healthcare, while enabling innovation. Discussions covered themes such as data standardization, data privacy and trust, skills development, and community engagement. Key insights from the Roundtable highlight the need for transparent testing frameworks, collaborative ecosystems, responsible data access, addressing the AI skills gap, and aligning AI use cases with real-world patient and system challenges.

The Health Leaders Roundtable united government officials, AI experts, healthcare executives, and multilateral organizations to explore shared principles for responsible, effective, and equitable AI deployment. These themes build on Abu Dhabi's advancing AI ecosystem, which is turning data into life-changing insights. Supporting this approach is the Global AI Healthcare Academy, launched by DoH, which equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge and training to implement AI technologies effectively. Additionally, Malaffi, the region's first Health Information Exchange, provides secure, real-time access to patient data across healthcare providers, crucial for deploying AI tools safely and efficiently. ADGHW serves as a platform for innovation and collaboration under the theme 'Towards Longevity: Redefining Health and Well-being.'