Burjeel founder joins WEF board steering AI and digital healthcare

Dubai: Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burjeel Holdings, has joined the Executive Board of the World Economic Forum’s Digital Healthcare Transformation Initiative, which is working to enable the wider use of artificial intelligence, health data and digital tools across healthcare systems.

The appointment brings a Middle East health-system operator onto a board that includes senior leaders from Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, Philips, Gavi, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise and Mass General Brigham, along with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health.

The initiative, led by the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Health and Healthcare, focuses on moving digital health projects beyond individual pilots and towards responsible adoption across healthcare systems, with patient outcomes, care delivery and system efficiency among its areas of work.

AI and digital care at scale

The Executive Board sets the initiative’s direction and priorities, with membership comprising chief executives, ministers and leaders of multilateral institutions.

Burjeel Holdings operates an integrated healthcare network with capabilities spanning complex care, advanced clinical technology, AI integration and digital infrastructure, alongside its continued expansion across the region.

Abu Dhabi part of global initiative

Launched in 2024, the Digital Healthcare Transformation Initiative works across three main areas, including sharing insights and leading practices, developing health ecosystems and supporting Pathfinder coalitions designed to demonstrate digital transformation at scale.

More than 200 organisations have engaged with the initiative, which covers areas including health data collaboration, AI innovation and regulation, virtual health, digital health incentives and intelligent health systems.

Abu Dhabi is also part of the initiative’s global Pathfinder approach, with work focused on intelligent health systems, international collaboration, developing a global strategy hub and sharing approaches that can be scaled across healthcare systems.

Global healthcare leaders on board

Other members of the Executive Board include Gianrico Farrugia, President and CEO of Mayo Clinic, Geoff Martha, Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Roy Jakobs, President and CEO of Philips, Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, and Dr Anne Klibanski, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham.

The board also includes Fahad bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health, reflecting the initiative’s mix of government, healthcare, technology and institutional leadership.