Abu Dhabi launches world’s first AI-powered surgical network with Johnson & Johnson

Abu Dhabi is building the world's first intelligent surgical network that uses artificial intelligence across all its operating rooms. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi announced the project on Friday in partnership with Johnson & Johnson.

The network will connect surgical suites across the emirate's major healthcare providers and use AI to analyze procedures in real-time. Abu Dhabi says this makes it the center of a new global system for advancing surgical AI technology.

How will it work?

The network uses Johnson & Johnson's Polyphonic digital platform, working with tech partners including Amazon Web Services, NVIDIA and Core42. It connects operating rooms across four major healthcare groups:

• Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
• PureHealth
• Mediclinic Group
• NMC Healthcare

Surgical teams get access to advanced analytics and clinical insights during procedures. The system collects data from before, during and after every surgery. This information feeds back into the network to help develop better AI tools for future surgeries.

The setup is designed to improve precision, efficiency and training while creating consistent care standards across all connected hospitals.

Why does it matter?

For patients, the network could mean more precise procedures and better surgical outcomes. The AI system learns from every operation to make the next one safer and more accurate.

For doctors, it provides smarter decision-making tools and continuous learning opportunities. Surgeons can access insights from thousands of procedures performed across the network.

"Abu Dhabi is not piloting AI in healthcare; we are operationalising it across our system to deliver measurable impact for our community and beyond," said Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.

The context

This project represents a major step in healthcare AI adoption. While many hospitals use individual AI tools, Abu Dhabi is creating the first network that connects multiple facilities to share surgical intelligence in real-time.

The move fits Abu Dhabi's broader push into precision medicine and AI-enabled healthcare. The emirate has been investing heavily in digital health infrastructure as part of its economic diversification strategy.

Johnson & Johnson sees this as a testbed for surgical AI that could expand globally. "This groundbreaking collaboration demonstrates a shared ambition to accelerate the next generation of AI solutions for surgery," said Hani Abouhalka, Company Group Chair for Surgery at Johnson & Johnson's MedTech division.