DUBAI, Feb 10 (WAM/APP): The UAE Integrative Medicine Council (UAEIMC) is participating in the World Health Expo (WHX), from 9th to 12th February at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City, where it is unveiling its strategic vision to advance the sustainability of the healthcare sector and contribute to the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).
The UAEIMC is part of the national platform ‘Emirates Health’, a consortium of UAE’s health authorities bringing together various UAE health stakeholders.
The unveiling of the Council’s vision aims to chart the future of the integrative healthcare sector while highlighting a suite of strategic initiatives designed to fulfil its core mission: establishing a balanced healthcare system. This system bridges Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) to promote wellness and longevity through evidence-based practices, advanced research, innovation, talent development, and international cooperation.
This launch follows the Council’s adoption of its strategic roadmap last January, which is built upon seven key pillars: robust governance, integrated service delivery, comprehensive insurance coverage, education and capability building, advanced research and innovation, growth through local and international collaboration, and community engagement and awareness.
Sheikha Salama bint Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chair of the Council, said, “Today marks a strategic milestone in our journey to empower the Council’s national mandate. We are developing an integrated healthcare model that prioritises patient safety and elevates service quality, ultimately shaping the future of healthcare across the UAE and extending its impact far beyond our borders to the world,”
Sheikha Salama added, “Our presence at the World Health Expo aligns with our commitment to international engagement on platforms where innovation and knowledge converge with scientific evidence. As we witness a global shift from curative care toward resilient, holistic, and preventive health models, science-based integrative approaches are emerging as fundamental pathways for the evolution of healthcare systems.”
World Health Expo is the world’s largest network of healthcare events. As part of the event programme, panel discussions at UAEIMC’s booth will explore the future of integrative medicine through a dual focus on education and innovation, with stakeholders and healthcare leaders in integrative medicine.
Discussions will examine how integrative medicine can be embedded across higher education and professional development, to strengthen physician and healthcare professionals’ competencies and support continuous learning.
The programme will also include a panel discussion on the growing emphasis on research, clinical validation and data quality, with insights on Emirati Traditional Medicine, herbal and natural products, safety and quality frameworks and emerging applications such as AI-enabled evidence generation.
The UAEIMC will present two initiatives at WHX developed in collaboration with key national and international stakeholders, reflecting a system-wide approach to innovation and knowledge integration.
Developed by Dubai Medical University (DMU), the ‘Dr Layla Initiative’ is an artificial intelligence-enabled research and educational platform, that consolidates traditional and herbal medical knowledge into an interactive digital system. Represented as a virtual faculty member, the platform is positioned as the world’s first AI doctor specialising in traditional medicine and medicinal plants.
‘Dr Layla’ delivers structured knowledge across disciplines that have historically been passed down orally with limited formal documentation including Traditional Chinese Medicine, African Traditional Medicine and Emirati Traditional Medicine. This initiative supports the preservation, standardisation and responsible clinical application of traditional knowledge within preventative and integrative healthcare settings.
In collaboration with Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), the Council will showcase a demonstration powered by XtalPi, a Chinese specialist company in intelligent laboratory solutions. The platform represents the world’s first automated system for the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) drugs, introducing a next-generation approach to pharmacological evaluation and regulatory-aligned safety assessment.
Another showcase includes the ‘I-D-E-A Platform’, developed by Jingtai Technology, an intelligent system enabling end-to-end separation, analysis, and evaluation of active ingredients in TCM. The platform supports the creation of chemical libraries, active-ingredient screening and unmanned monitoring through advanced data analytics, ensuring efficacy, traceability, and safety across the entire TCM research and drug-development chain.
The UAE Integrative Medicine Council was established to position the UAE as a global leader in integrative healthcare, that seamlessly combines traditional and complementary practices with conventional medical care.
Guided by a unified strategic framework, the Council’s work is anchored across seven pillars: robust governance, integrated service provision, equitable access, education and capability building, cutting-edge research and innovation, growth through collaboration, and community engagement and acceptance. Together, these pillars support the safe, ethical and evidence-based integration of TCIM within the UAE’s healthcare system, while fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
In addition to its technology and research showcases at WHX, the Council will convene strategic dialogue through the Al Shifaa Summit for Integrative Medicine, reinforcing its role as a national platform for advancing integrative medicine.
First established in 2025 as part of the Future Health Summit, Al Shifaa Summit for Integrative Medicine will return this year bringing together policymakers, academics, clinicians, researchers and innovators to explore the future of integrative healthcare, supporting the UAE’s vision of a globally recognised, integrated health ecosystem.