A robot, an AI and 25 patients: Abu Dhabi tests the next colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the best tool we have against colorectal cancer, yet it still misses polyps. A small trial in Abu Dhabi is now asking whether a robot and some artificial intelligence can close that gap.

The study is called CARE-UAE. It ran at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and enrolled 25 patients between October 15 and 23, 2026. All were already scheduled for screening, diagnostic or surveillance colonoscopy. The work is a partnership with US firm Neptune Medical and has the backing of the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH). It was highlighted at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026. Organisers describe it as one of the first studies of its kind in the emirate, and it is the first clinical evaluation of Neptune's Triton Robotic Endoscopy System in the Middle East.

Twenty-five patients is a small number. Nobody should read results into it yet. But the point of an early study like this is to test whether the technology behaves well in a new clinical setting, and to start building local evidence.

How did it work?

CARE-UAE has two parts, and they are separate.

The first part assesses the Triton system's navigation and shape-tracking features. These are designed to help clinicians guide the endoscope through the colon. A key test is whether the device reaches the caecum, the start of the large intestine. Reaching it is the standard anatomical marker that an examination is complete.

The second part collects data using an AI-assisted polyp detection platform. This platform is not part of Triton. Neptune plans to fold similar capabilities into future versions of the system, so the data will inform that work.

Dr. John Rodriguez, Chief of the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said the technology should help clinicians recognise and remove polyps that standard colonoscopy can easily miss. That is a hope for now, not a finding.

Why does it matter?

Early detection is the whole game in colorectal cancer. Precancerous polyps can be removed before they turn dangerous, so a missed polyp is a missed chance. Any tool that improves detection or makes the procedure more reliable could change outcomes at scale.

Neptune CEO Alex Tilson pointed to the company's earlier CARE 1 and CARE 2 studies and its recent FDA clearance as milestones. He said real-world data on AI-assisted detection is central to the next generation of Triton.

The regulatory message is just as important. Dr. Asma Ibrahim Al Mannaei of the DoH said emerging technologies must be evaluated rigorously, with patient safety at the centre. Abu Dhabi wants to contribute to international research while building evidence in its own clinical setting.

The context

This fits a clear pattern across the Gulf. The UAE has positioned itself as a leader in AI, and Abu Dhabi has made health research and life sciences a policy priority. The summit's theme, 'To Sense Is to Predict', reflects the same logic: earlier insight, earlier action. Its four impact areas included Digital Health and AI and Investment in Life Sciences. The wider GCC, under national strategies such as Saudi Vision 2030, is pursuing similar goals in digital health and preventive care.

Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said the ambition is to create solutions in Abu Dhabi that set standards of care globally. That is a big claim for a 25-patient study. Still, hosting early clinical evaluations is how a health system earns a seat in medtech development, rather than simply buying the result later.

The real test will come with larger studies and hard data on detection rates. For now, CARE-UAE shows that Abu Dhabi has the regulatory framework, clinical expertise and appetite to run such trials. Its findings will add to the evidence on robotic endoscopy and guide further development.