Abu Dhabi has opened applications for the Future Health Digital Innovation Challenge 2026, inviting innovators worldwide to develop AI and technology-driven solutions that identify health needs earlier and improve healthcare outcomes.
The initiative, launched by Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi, will bring together startups, researchers, developers, clinicians, students and entrepreneurs to explore how emerging technologies can support preventive, personalized and proactive healthcare.
The challenge will focus on three areas: Fertility, population health and wellbeing. Participants are encouraged to develop solutions using AI, software and connected technologies to address healthcare needs across these categories.
The fertility track will explore how technology can improve understanding of reproductive health and help individuals and clinicians make informed decisions. Population health solutions will focus on identifying emerging risks, strengthening prevention and screening, and supporting timely interventions. The wellbeing category will examine technologies that help people understand health changes and access personalized support.
Aligned with Future Health’s 2026 theme, ‘To Sense is to Predict’, the initiative aims to translate health signals from individuals, communities and healthcare systems into earlier insights and more informed decisions.
Three finalists will advance to an awards ceremony at GITEX 2026, where they will compete for a total prize pool of AED 3,85,612 (USD 105,000).
The winning team will receive AED 1,83,625 (USD 50,000). The second finalist will receive AED 1,28,537 (USD 35,000), and the third finalist will receive AED 73,450 (USD 20,000).
Selected participants will receive technical and clinical guidance from experts across Abu Dhabi’s healthcare and innovation ecosystem. The program will help teams refine their ideas, test assumptions, and develop working prototypes. Promising solutions may also progress to further validation, incubation, pilot projects and potential scaling.
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Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Inception42, and Microsoft co-created the challenge, with Hack2skill delivering the program in collaboration with Future Health.
The initiative builds on Abu Dhabi’s wider healthcare efforts. The Abu Dhabi Program for the Future of Reproductive Health brings together more than 2,000 experts across more than 250 facilities, while 25 initiatives under the Abu Dhabi Healthy Living Strategy support prevention and healthier lifestyles.
Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said digital innovation offers opportunities to identify health risks and needs earlier and translate insights into actions that improve health outcomes.
Applications are open to individuals and multidisciplinary teams worldwide, including those working on new concepts, early-stage prototypes, or existing solutions that can be adapted to the challenge’s focus areas.
Innovators developing AI, software, and connected technology solutions can apply until November 15, 2026.