Emirates Health Services organized the Health Horizons 2026 conference on October 13, 2026, at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, drawing experts, physicians and specialists from health and technology fields for a two-day program. Dr. Essam Al Zarooni, Executive Director of the Medical Services Sector at Emirates Health Services, emphasised that the conference aims to highlight key challenges facing the public health system. The gathering focused on proactive approaches to mitigate disease causes before they affect communities.
Dr. Al Zarooni explained that the conference showcased cutting-edge technologies and innovations, most notably artificial intelligence applications, genomic advancements, predictive medicine tools and modern models for disease management and diagnosis. These elements contribute to enhancing health-related quality of life and elevating the efficiency of medical services, according to the Emirates News Agency report. Attendees engaged with presentations that connected these advancements to practical improvements in patient care.
The Emirates Health Services executive further noted that the conference’s objectives align with the UAE’s strategic direction to adopt the latest innovations and world-class solutions. This direction aims to foster a healthy society that ensures the highest standards of quality of life for both individuals and the community. The event reinforced commitments to preventive healthcare models across the public system.
Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf data places the GCC youth population at approximately 12.8 million aged 10 to 24 in 2025, representing 20 percent of the region’s total residents. GCC-STAT figures show the bloc achieved 100 percent coverage of basic health services for this group, surpassing the global rate of 68 percent, alongside full compliance with related national regulations compared with the worldwide 84 percent benchmark. The agency’s statistics also record a maternal mortality rate of 19.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in the GCC, well below the global 2030 target of 70.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Survey 2024-2025 found that 22.4 percent of adults in the UAE live with obesity while 25.9 percent have high blood pressure and 54.2 percent show high cholesterol levels. The survey, endorsed by the World Health Organization, additionally reported that 49.3 percent of adults and 69.1 percent of children aged 6 to 17 experience vitamin D deficiency. These indicators supplied context for discussions on preventive strategies during the Health Horizons 2026 sessions.
Physician density across the GCC reached 33.2 per 10,000 people in 2024 according to GCC-STAT, more than double the global average of 16.3, with the region employing roughly 203,100 physicians alongside 411,900 nursing personnel. The Health Horizons 2026 conference incorporated such regional benchmarks into dialogues on scaling innovations like predictive analytics for earlier interventions. Organizers positioned the event as a direct contribution to the GCC Health Strategy for 2026-2030 that prioritizes prevention of noncommunicable diseases and expanded research cooperation.
