Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has launched a large-scale, long-term study in Abu Dhabi aimed at enhancing understanding of the genetic, biological, and lifestyle factors that influence the health of people living in the UAE. The study also seeks to support future research in precision medicine, disease prediction, and prevention.
The findings are expected to support the UAE’s efforts to detect diseases and risk factors at an early stage and strengthen its data-driven preventive healthcare system.
The study is of particular scientific importance given the UAE’s unique population diversity, comprising citizens and residents from more than 200 nationalities. This provides a research database of exceptional value that is difficult to replicate in comparable population studies. The study will also establish an extensive scientific database to support health policy, improve clinical practice, and accelerate drug development.
MBZUAI will lead the study in the UAE over a period of 25 years. Participants will undergo comprehensive assessments covering their medical histories and lifestyles. The study will employ advanced medical imaging, blood tests, and continuous monitoring of glucose levels and sleep quality, alongside the collection of multi-level biological data covering genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and the microbiome.
Researchers involved in the study aim to use these data to develop AI models that can help understand how diseases emerge and progress, supporting their early detection and prevention in the future.
Commenting on the significance of the study, Her Excellency Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Director-General of the Emirates Drug Establishment and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Personalised Medicine at MBZUAI, said: “The UAE has established its leadership in population genomics through the Emirati Genome Programme. This study represents an advanced step towards building a health knowledge base that brings together clinical, biological, and lifestyle data collected over an extended period, while using AI technologies to transform these data into scientific knowledge that deepens our understanding of how diseases emerge and progress.”
She added: “The strategic value of this study lies in its ability to generate scientific evidence that is more closely aligned with the health characteristics and population diversity of the UAE. This will contribute to developing more precise preventive models, support data-driven health decisions, and open new avenues for research in precision medicine, preventive healthcare, and pharmaceutical sciences.”
In addition to its contribution to scientific research, the study will allow each participant to access personalised research summaries based on their personal data through a secure online portal, with the option of sharing them with their treating physician. All biological samples collected from participants will be stored at a secure healthcare facility in the UAE, while all personally identifiable information will be separated from research data before the latter are used in any scientific analysis.
The study has received the necessary approvals from the Abu Dhabi Committee for Health Research and Technology under the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Institutional Review Board at MBZUAI, and the Research Ethics Committee of the Healthy Longevity Institute. The study also fully complies with UAE federal legislation and local laws in Abu Dhabi governing privacy protection.
Participation in the study is entirely voluntary and free of charge, and participants may withdraw at any time.
