Why Abu Dhabi is the new global hub for longevity medicine

Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum released a report titled The Global Risks Report 2025, highlighting that the number of people aged 65 and older is expected to increase globally by 36 per cent, from 857 million in 2025 to 1.2 billion by 2035.

The rising global burden of chronic disease and an ageing population demands that healthcare shifts gears. Rather than treating illnesses in late stages, the focus is on keeping people healthier for longer.

Healthy Longevity Medicine is the cornerstone of this shift, a specialty that targets the fundamental biology of ageing and prevention of disease across the lifespan. This includes blending cutting-edge preventive medicine with proven therapeutics to delay ageing and curb disease progression, adding life to years, not just years to life.

By offering AI-enabled risk prediction and personalized treatments tailored to each person’s biology, lifestyle, and goals, care becomes unique to the individual.

Setting global standards in longevity medicine

Abu Dhabi is not just a leader in the clinical practice of Healthy Longevity Medicine but also in setting global standards. The Department of Health (DOH) – Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi and the Healthy Longevity Medicine Society, has introduced the world’s first evidence-based guidelines for healthy longevity medicine. By defining what a longevity clinic should offer and how it should operate, these guidelines establish new clinical standards and redefine precision healthcare.

This achievement is more than local policy, it is a blueprint to inspire global health systems to prioritize healthy ageing. Abu Dhabi’s message is clear: the future of medicine lies in keeping populations healthier longer.

Abu Dhabi is undergoing a healthcare transformation, positioning the emirate at the forefront of the healthy longevity movement. This vision came into sharp focus with the recent licensing of the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD) as the world’s first specialised Healthy Longevity Medicine Centre.

It is a first-of-its-kind initiative that aligns with the UAE’s commitment to proactive, innovative healthcare, moving from reacting to illness toward long-term wellness.

A unique strength of Abu Dhabi’s approach lies in its integration of clinical care with population health science. By studying trends and biomarkers of ageing across diverse groups, it becomes possible to identify interventions that deliver results at scale, supporting longer, healthier lives.

Research on emerging data classes and real-world evidence, along with the design of clinical trials focused on healthy longevity, contributes valuable knowledge for policymakers and healthcare leaders, not just nationally but globally.

A vision aligned with policy and global leadership

These efforts are part of a forward-thinking vision championed by UAE leadership. Abu Dhabi’s government has explicitly prioritised life science innovation and longevity as key pillars of development.

Launched in January 2025, the “HealthX” initiative, a collaboration between Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health and NYU Abu Dhabi, aims to accelerate innovation at the intersection of life sciences and generative AI, further positioning the emirate as a global leader in longevity-focused research.

Approved in March 2025, the UAE National Investment Strategy 2031 aims to double annual FDI inflows from Dhs112bn (2023) to Dhs240bn by 2031, with healthcare and life sciences identified as cross-cutting enablers across key sectors such as advanced manufacturing and digital technology.

As part of its 2031 strategy, the UAE plans to triple R&D spending, with significant benefits projected for medical research, biotechnology, and the life sciences ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

In early 2023, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) enacted new healthcare regulations that adopt Abu Dhabi’s onshore health laws, allowing ADGM to license healthcare and life sciences companies under the Department of Health standards. This regulatory alignment enables streamlined setup for biotech, medtech, and longevity startups in the free zone. The same year saw Abu Dhabi launch a dedicated strategy uniting the Department of Health (DoH) and Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) to promote “wellness, medi-wellness, and medical tourism” as core offerings for international patients.

This alignment between policy and practice is essential. Clinical work informs public health strategy, and government support accelerates innovation. The Department of Health’s backing reflects a commitment to a proactive healthcare model centred on prevention and the goal of keeping people healthy for longer.

Historically, expertise in ageing and longevity was concentrated in a few centres in the West or East Asia. Today, Abu Dhabi offers a globally relevant model, combining clinical excellence, technological innovation, and impactful regulatory governance.

Involvement in global initiatives, from contributing to international research to hosting expert discussions, underscores that Abu Dhabi is actively shaping the global movement of healthy longevity.

Shaping a healthier future for all

As a physician and policymaker at heart, I believe the true measure of success will be seen in the coming decades, in the vitality of our population, the diseases we prevent and resulting cost savings to the health care system and the global adoption of policies inspired by Abu Dhabi’s example.

We are proud that Abu Dhabi has become a beacon for healthy longevity. But we are even more excited to collaborate with partners around the world to expand this vision.

The writer is the CEO at The Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD).