Abu Dhabi DoH Introduces Regulatory Framework for AI Clinician Systems

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has released the AI Clinician Framework, a regulatory framework setting out how artificial intelligence clinician systems may be authorised to conduct clinical tasks that typically require a licensed healthcare professional. The initiative aims to govern the research, evaluation, and eventual operation of clinical AI within the emirate.

Under the framework, an AI clinician system's competence is evaluated directly against the specific clinical activities it is designed to perform. Systems intended for wider clinical scopes will be subject to higher standards of evidence and competence before receiving regulatory consideration.

The framework mandates specific safeguards across all tiers of clinical scope, including ongoing physician oversight, clear accountability mechanisms, and compulsory referral protocols to human doctors when necessary.

Announced at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit by DoH Chairman Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori and Undersecretary Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, the framework will serve as the foundation for future DoH operational policies, defining technical evidence thresholds and evaluation benchmarks for clinical AI technologies.