In a surgical suite in Abu Dhabi, a patient with prostate cancer recently underwent an operation guided in real time by a colleague thousands of miles away in the United States. This first-ever transcontinental robotic-assisted focal therapy procedure was completed in less than an hour. It showcased how robotics and digital connectivity are redefining healthcare, erasing borders in medicine, and redefining what is possible for patients.
At the forefront of this transformation is Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In just a decade, the hospital, ranked on Newsweek’s “World’s Best Hospitals” and “Best Smart Hospitals” lists for four consecutive years, has become a proving ground for advanced technologies that are redefining care in the Middle East and attracting global attention.
Key to this progress are collaborations with local and global partners. The hospital is piloting predictive AI models that anticipate medical challenges before they arise and testing next-generation robotic systems designed for increasingly complex procedures. By integrating these advances locally, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a hub for healthcare innovation, attracting patients from all over the world.
Breaking ground with robotics
Robotic-assisted surgery has been part of the hospital’s DNA from the start. Since 2015, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Robotic Surgery Program has performed over 1,100 procedures, achieving a series of firsts such as the UAE’s first robotic bilateral kidney transplant from a deceased donor, the Gulf’s first robotic lung transplant (done by only a handful of centers worldwide), and the hospital’s first robotic mastectomy. These milestones highlight how robotics is making a wider range of complex surgeries possible in the UAE.
At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, robotic surgery covers multiple specialties, from gastrointestinal and bariatric to urologic, gynecologic, hepatopancreatobiliary, transplant, oncologic, and endocrine surgeries. Robotic-assisted surgeries are more precise, less invasive, reduce recovery times, with shorter hospital stays, and provide local access to procedures that once required travel abroad.
The invisible hand of AI
Artificial intelligence is a quieter force of innovation in healthcare. Algorithms now underpin key aspects of care across the hospital, often unseen by patients but transforming outcomes.
An AI-powered colorectal cancer screening program reached more than 2,000 people within weeks of its launch, catching risks earlier and expanding access to preventive care. At the Fatima bint Mubarak Cancer Center, adaptive radiotherapy recalibrates beams in real time, precisely targeting tumors while sparing healthy tissue. In stroke care, AI-driven imaging has reduced critical diagnostic delays from hours to minutes, enabling faster, life-saving interventions.
Innovation meets expertise
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s track record of firsts shows that it is no longer just adopting medical innovation; it is shaping it. Guided by a deeply ingrained patients-first philosophy, the hospital stresses that technology is a facilitator, not a substitute for care. Equally important are the caregivers behind the machines; the physicians, nurses, and clinical specialists who bring expertise, decision-making, and compassion to every procedure.
The hospital is investing heavily in people, including Emirati caregivers, to ensure these tools are embedded into the country’s healthcare system for the long term. Through education and research, it is setting new standards in professional development, enabling complex, advanced procedures to be performed locally with world-class precision.
As the first institution in the UAE to receive Provisional Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®), Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi reinforces its role in training the next generation of healthcare professionals. By integrating technology with expert human talent, the hospital ensures that as medical innovations evolve, its people remain at the forefront of modern medicine, as innovations continue to evolve.
Looking ahead
As healthcare innovation grows more sophisticated and refined, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s trajectory signals a future that is more precise, personalized, and compassionate than ever before. This shift positions Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a hub of innovation, setting new benchmarks in modern medicine and shaping the global conversation on the future of care.
