Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi: A decade of impact

In its 10th year of delivering transformative care for patients across the UAE and the region, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has become a cornerstone of advanced healthcare in the UAE. Marking another milestone, the hospital served over one million patients for the second year in a row.

Behind this number is a broader shift in regional healthcare, one that brings world-class healthcare closer to home and challenges the notion that cutting-edge treatment requires travel abroad.

Ranked at the top in the UAE and the Middle East on multiple industry lists, including Newsweek’s most recent and inaugural Best Specialized Hospitals Middle East rankings, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi leads in some of the most complex areas of care, including Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology, Transplant, Gastroenterology and more.

Since 2016, the hospital has consistently earned the JCI Gold Seal of Approval for safety and quality through four consecutive cycles.

It serves as a reliable referral centre both regionally and globally, highlighting its importance within Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system and supporting the UAE’s goals for healthcare excellence.

Elevating standards of healthcare in the UAE

The hospital has played a defining role in reshaping healthcare in the UAE, evolving to manage more high-acuity and complex cases. Nearly 10,000 complex procedures were performed in 2025, marking the highest annual total in the organisation’s 10-year history. Its multidisciplinary expertise, combined with a patient-first philosophy is transforming care delivery by eliminating fragmented treatment and offering coordinated, cross-disciplinary services under one roof. This approach ensures unmatched patient experience and rivals many world-class centres globally.

Its increased growth in international patient numbers positions it as a trusted regional and global referral centre, with a steady year-on-year increase in patient visits. This growth trajectory aligns with the UAE’s healthcare strategy, which prioritises innovation, excellence, and accessibility.

Innovation and technology for better outcomes

The healthcare sector is one of the largest benefactors of innovations in AI, robotics, and digital technologies, where patient outcomes will be improved through precision medicine, diagnosis, and treatment. Robotic-assisted surgical interventions are grabbing headlines globally, and as pioneers in the UAE, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is leading a broader shift in how complex care is delivered. Nearly 400 robotic-assisted surgeries have been performed in 2025, including the Middle East’s first robotic lung transplant, a milestone that places the hospital among only five facilities globally to achieve this feat.

Cross-border care enabled by telesurgery is breaking barriers for complex cases previously inaccessible due to technology, expertise, or medical fragility. Earlier this year, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi collaborated remotely with Cleveland Clinic US to perform the world’s first transcontinental robotic-assisted focal therapy for prostate cancer, and this is an increasingly available option for patients, highlighting how innovation can transcend borders.

Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping medicine. AI tools now assist across specialities, detecting disease earlier and with greater accuracy. The hospital’s AI-based colorectal cancer screening programme has enabled more screenings in the recent years, completing 2,000 screenings within the first six months of opening last year, a major step in reducing late-stage diagnoses. Caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi use AI in making better decisions while keeping the patient-first approach at the core of care.

Responsible adoption of cutting-edge technologies is reimagining access to advanced care, ensuring better clinical outcomes, an enhanced patient experience and a faster return to normal life.

Leadership, collaboration, and vision for the future

As Abu Dhabi strengthens its position as a global hub for advanced healthcare, more patients are choosing the UAE for complex, high-acuity care. Meeting this demand requires visionary leadership and forward-thinking collaboration.

An example of this vision in action is the upcoming heavy-ion therapy facility, set to open in a location close to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. It will be the first in the region and one of only 15 centres worldwide addressing a critical gap in access to precise and personalised radiation therapy for hard-to-treat cancers. For patients across the Middle East, this represents a new frontier in radiation therapy and renewed hope.

The hospital’s evolution from the UAE’s first multi-organ transplant centre to a global referral destination underscores its progress. Since opening in 2017, it has completed 1,000 transplants, a milestone that is another reflection of its commitment to care for patients in the UAE and beyond.

Under the leadership of CEO, Dr Georges-Pascal Haber, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi continues to prioritise evidence-based medicine, patient-centric policies, clinical excellence, and tech-enabled care.

Research is another pillar of this strategy. Ranked No. 1 research hospital in the UAE by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), the hospital has led groundbreaking initiatives including the UAE’s first comprehensive Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) programme for the treatment of Parkinson’s and movement disorders, earning the Innovation in Healthcare Award as part of the 2025 Medical Awards by the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences.

Strategic partnerships and collaborations amplify the impact of clinical studies. The UAE-PRIME trial, in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and in partnership with Neuralink, is the region’s first human brain-computer interface (BCI) study, aimed at improving the lives of those affected by paralysis for patients living with severe neurological impairment.

Other clinical trials include BioTwin, a comprehensive digital replica created for individual patients for diagnostic purposes; Polyphonic, a digital ecosystem to enhance surgical performance, collaboration, and training; and a therapeutic clinical trial funded by AstraZeneca, aimed at reducing the recurrence of breast cancer.

Looking ahead, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is shaping a health ecosystem that is precision-driven and personalised, offering world-class expertise without the need for patients to travel abroad. Its 2025 milestones represent lives changed, futures protected, and proof that the UAE’s medical future is already here. ■