As the GCEO of M42, you oversee one of the most dynamic healthcare organizations. From your perspective, how would you describe M42’s core operations today and the key projects that you believe best reflect its mission and impact?
M42 is not a conventional healthcare organization; we see ourselves as a disruptor. An organization that fundamentally believes in the power of innovation to redefine how societies perceive health and deliver care and long-term wellbeing.
Our mission, “Advancing innovation in healthcare, for people and the planet,” guides every part of our strategy. It anchors our commitment to move healthcare from reactive, episodic, sick care toward precise, predictive and preventive health.
At the heart of M42 is a unique ecosystem that integrates domains that were typically separated in traditional health systems. First, we deliver highly specialised clinical care across a diverse network of 480 hospitals and clinics in 27 countries, spanning complex surgery, renal care, diabetes and endocrine health, diagnostics, women’s and children’s services, and more.
Second, this patient care focus combines with advanced research, genomics and multi-omics and precision-health capabilities. Flagship projects include the Emirati Genome Program – one of the world’s largest and most diverse genomics programs – and the Abu Dhabi BioBank, as well as Rasid, a large-scale wastewater testing network to track infectious diseases, spot emerging threats and monitor antimicrobial resistance. Our leadership in genomics, biobanking and population-scale programs allows us to deliver care that is personalized rather than standardized; preventive rather than sickness-driven; and, predictive rather than reactive.
Third, all our work is underpinned by our use of data, technology and AI to address pain points, digitalize health and advance digital health solutions. A prime example is Malaffi, the region’s first health information exchange platform. Today, it is connecting all of Abu Dhabi’s hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, amassing over 3.5 billion clinical records. Operated by M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services, the platform is redefining how health data is used to benefit patients and the population at large with precision care and predictive analytics.
Together, this creates a globally scaled health intelligence ecosystem to move healthcare from reactive, episodic treatment to personalized, preventive and predictive care. This enables us to serve individuals, communities and global populations, and work towards creating more accessible healthcare.
Under your leadership, M42 has achieved remarkable milestones in recent years. Which accomplishments are you personally most proud of, and why do you consider them pivotal for the future of the organization?
It is always difficult to single out specific milestones, because our work touches so many lives across the world. So, no single milestone makes me most proud, except the impact we are having on people’s lives. Knowing that we’re giving patients access to the highest quality of care, empowering people to live healthier lives through preventive health strategies, and helping to reduce the disease burden in a population, there’s just no better feeling than this sense of service.
I’m particularly proud of our world-leading renal-care network through Diaverum, which is now in 24 countries. Our pursuit of excellence in clinical standards, patient experience and access to high-quality dialysis has changed kidney care for the better, from human-centred care that reduces hospitalizations and mortality rates to AI-predictive analytics that save lives. Our expansion into countries such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia has allowed us to reach more people who traditionally had fewer options.
Furthermore, we have deepened our leadership in genomics and population health programs. In partnership with national stakeholders, the Emirati Genome Program has now sequenced over 850,000 genomes, building one of the world’s largest and most diverse national datasets. This is already informing earlier diagnosis of rare diseases, more targeted therapies and new research collaborations. Already, breakthroughs in preventive treatment are being made, helping patients avoid diseases, such as cancer. It also sets the foundation for us to support other countries embarking on similar journeys.
Third, I am proud of M42’s status as a globally trusted partner in AI-powered healthcare and digital transformation. We are increasingly seen as an innovation and systems partner that can help countries and organizations digitalize health systems.
These achievements matter because they are not isolated wins; they are building blocks. They accelerate our shift from traditional healthcare to health intelligence and enable us to disrupt the global healthcare sector.
You have spoken often about M42’s commitment to redefining the future of healthcare. What is your long-term vision for the organization, and what strategic priorities will guide M42 in the coming years, both in the UAE and globally?
At M42, our focus is on building a globally scaled health intelligence ecosystem that transforms how care is delivered and how nations advance their healthcare systems. At our core, we combine globally diversified patient care, world-leading AI and omics capabilities, and digital health infrastructure to enable a shift from reactive care to personalized, preventive and predictive health.
Our strategy is focused on being a trusted partner to the private and public sectors by unlocking the full potential of M42 through our platforms with:
- Delivering world-class patient care: Leveraging our global footprint to scale AI-powered specialty care across key strategic care domains to improve patient outcomes and quality of life at a lower cost to serve. A key part is also further expansion of our omics expertise and digital health solutions to new markets to support the transition to preventive care.
- Creating data-led ecosystems: Using data in all its forms – genotypic, phenotypic, environmental and lifestyle – to scale precision medicine capabilities, preventive population health and longevity strategies and predictive intelligence to create healthier, more sustainable futures.
- Driving digital transformation and health system modernization: We are digitizing health systems and have built the AI and technological capabilities and partnerships to either support health systems transition to digitalization or help them leapfrog traditional archetypes altogether.
The key is doing this at scale and working in collaboration with like-minded organizations across borders to re-engineering the healthcare paradigm, empower individuals, and build more resilient health systems for the future.
M42 plays a vital role in strengthening the UAE’s socio-economic development. How do you see your initiatives contributing to national growth, and what responsibilities do you believe M42 holds in shaping Abu Dhabi’s evolving health ecosystem?
Healthcare is a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification strategy and M42 is proud to be one of its key engines. We are helping to build a resilient, sovereign health infrastructure, from local diagnostics and genomics to national AI platforms, reducing the need for outbound medical travel while building future-proof capabilities in genomics and disease prevention for global impact.
Economically, we contribute by creating high-value jobs, attracting global talent, and upskilling the national workforce. A simple example is M42’s Danat Al Emarat Women and Children’s Hospital, which recently onboarded its first cohort of Emirati midwives, bringing local expertise, cultural understanding and national pride into the health system.
Scientifically, we are helping to build a knowledge economy around health, making Abu Dhabi a true hub for life sciences. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has been recognized as the UAE’s top health research hospital and among the leading institutions in the region, while our genomics and biobanking programmes are drawing international collaborations and clinical trials to the country.
From a systems perspective, we operate critical digital health infrastructure such as Malaffi and support initiatives like Sahatna on TAMM and Jordan’s national virtual hospital. These platforms improve access, coordination and efficiency, and position Abu Dhabi as a reference point for intelligent, connected care.
Personalized healthcare has become a major focus for M42, especially through the use of advanced AI. How do you envision artificial intelligence transforming care delivery at scale, and what breakthroughs excite you the most as a leader in this field?
For us, AI and data aren’t just tools – they form the foundation of M42 and are integrated into not only precision medicine, but also population health programs focused on early detection and preventive treatments. Without large-scale data integration and advanced AI analytics, personalized, preventive and predictive care wouldn’t be possible. That’s why we’ve built a health intelligence ecosystem that connects genomic, clinical and population-level insights to drive better outcomes across every level of care.
We’re applying AI and machine learning to one of the world’s largest genomic datasets, with over 850,000 whole genomes sequenced. This enables us to identify novel mutations and intervene earlier, with treatments tailored to the individual.
AI use cases go beyond genomics though. Through Diaverum, we have developed an AI model that helps physicians and nurses predict episodes of vascular access thrombosis in haemodialysis patients, a condition associated with increased suffering and mortality. Using Diaverum’s proprietary AI model, we are able to predict thrombotic events up to a week in advance, enabling personalized interventions. In doing so, we act earlier, reduce unplanned hospitalisations, and save lives.
We are seeing similar potential in areas such as screening and diagnostics. Our AI-powered tuberculosis (TB) screening program is a strong example: it has already been validated on more than one million chest X-rays, achieving zero false negatives. This level of reliability is helping health systems manage high imaging volumes while freeing clinicians to focus on the most complex cases.
Looking ahead, the breakthroughs that excite me most sit at the intersection of AI, genomics and health data. Combined with our efforts at our biobanks, we have the potential to improve disease understanding and data-driven discovery, setting the platform for global health progress.
Global collaboration is increasingly essential to sustaining innovation in healthcare. From your perspective, which international partnerships have been most meaningful to M42, and what upcoming innovations or initiatives are you most eager to introduce to patients worldwide?
Partnerships aren’t a nice-to-have; they’re a must-have. The company itself was born with the coming together of Mubadala Health and G42 Healthcare, and that spirit continues to guide how we work today. We know no single organisation can solve the world’s health challenges alone, so global partnerships are fundamental to how M42 grows, scales and delivers impact.
Our collaborations are local, regional and global and span multiple industries from healthcare and technology to AI and academia. In the UAE, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has been an indispensable partner on all flagship initiatives, including in genomics and biobanking. This has helped create a blueprint on the future of health that we can take to the world. Working with public sector organizations can accelerate change on global health and we’re proud of working with health ministries and departments in many countries to co-create solutions. For instance, in Uzbekistan we are working on the Uzbek Genome Program to collaborate in the fields of genomics, next-generation prevention, novel screening, and diagnostics development. In Jordan, we are helping to digitize its health system and recently launched a virtual hospital, improving access to critical care services.
In the private sector, we are proud of our trusted partnerships with technology leaders like Microsoft, Toshiba, Oracle Health, Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies; health pioneers, such as the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the UK’s ProFaM and Neurocode International; pharma and biotechs, including AstraZeneca and Halia Therapeutics; and, academia, such as Imperial College London, MBZUAI, Khalifa University, Yamagata University, and many more. This has enabled us to build a go-to healthcare ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and accelerated our growth as a global health leader.
In terms of introducing new innovations or initiatives to patients worldwide, there are many. Our hospital Danat Al Emarat’s work with ProFaM pioneers a new era of reproductive longevity and preventive hormonal care with Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation (OTC), to delay the onset of menopause and extend fertility. The work on a genomics-led prevention care system is vital to healthier lives for all. We would like to see more of this, particularly across the Global South where populations are underrepresented in global genomics research. Personalized medicine is a big area and there is massive potential here for patients worldwide, as is the ability for continuous health monitoring so that patients get health information in real time.
We are broadening global access to our clinical network through initiatives such as our partnership with the Medical Tourism Association, which helps international patients navigate their care journey more seamlessly, ensuring that innovation at M42 is accessible far beyond our home market. Across all these efforts, our goal remains the same: to take the best of what we are building in Abu Dhabi and share it globally for the benefit of all.
By Carla Branco
INFO: https://m42.ae