Abu Dhabi to Host Global Future Health Summit in October 2026
The emirate will convene international leaders across healthcare, technology and policy for a three-day summit exploring how advances in artificial intelligence, genomics and health data can transform health systems from treating illness to predicting and preventing disease.
Abu Dhabi will host the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit from 20–22 October 2026, bringing together a global community of health leaders, innovators and policymakers to advance a transformative shift in how health systems operate worldwide.
The summit, convened by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, will gather expertise spanning national health systems, science and technology, healthcare and life sciences, policy and investment. With 130 forum speakers, more than 175 exhibitors and participation anticipated from 100 countries, the event represents a significant convergence of international thought leadership.
From Reaction to Prediction
Organised around the central theme To Sense is to Predict, the summit will explore how emerging capabilities in artificial intelligence, genomics, diagnostics and health data analytics enable health systems to shift from responding to illness towards identifying risk early and preventing disease from progressing. This preventive approach aligns with Abu Dhabi’s broader advancement of an integrated, prevention-led health ecosystem that combines policy, data, genomics, clinical innovation and investment into a unified framework.
Her Excellency Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, emphasised the strategic significance of this evolution: “Health systems around the world are entering a new era, where advances in science, data and technology are giving us the ability to understand risk earlier and act before illness progresses. The Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit is about turning that ambition into action. By bringing global expertise together with Abu Dhabi’s capabilities and real-world health ecosystem, we can exchange knowledge, test new approaches and build partnerships that move promising ideas towards implementation and scale.”
Leading Global Voices
Featured speakers include Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive of AstraZeneca; Tim Schmid, Executive Vice President and Worldwide Chairman of Johnson & Johnson MedTech; Helga Fogstad, Director of Health at UNICEF; Will Ahmed, Founder and Chief Executive of WHOOP; and Tom Hale, Chief Executive of ŌURA. The speaker roster also encompasses founders and leaders from pioneering health technology ventures, investment firms focused on healthcare innovation, and directors of international health initiatives.
His Excellency Mansoor Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, will be among the speakers, alongside international ministers and government representatives whose participation reflects the summit’s reach across global health governance structures.
Building on Established Momentum
The summit builds upon substantial progress already achieved through Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi, a year-round platform launched in 2025 that succeeds the legacy of Abu Dhabi Global Health Week. The inaugural Future Health Challenge received 393 submissions from 68 countries, demonstrating considerable international engagement. The initiative has published foundational research through the Future of Longevity and Future of Healthy Living whitepapers, and has joined the MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research’s BioConvergence Cancer Alliance as a Founding Member.
Thematic Focus and Programming
The summit programme centres on four thematic focus areas: Longevity and Precision Health; Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence; Health System Resilience and Sustainability; and Investment in Life Sciences. The core forum will feature keynote presentations, executive-level conversations and public-private dialogues examining these dimensions of predictive, preventive and personalised healthcare.
A curated Global Exhibition will provide space for organisations across healthcare, technology, life sciences and investment to demonstrate innovations shaping the future of health. A complementary programme of Side Events will enable focused discussion, knowledge exchange and partnerships among delegates.
Future Health is curated and convened by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi in partnership with PureHealth, M42, the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Bio as Founding Partners. Mediclinic Middle East serves as Strategic Partner and Burjeel Holdings as Associate Partner.
Source: Abu Dhabi Media Office