Egypt, ADIB exploring digital health partnerships and investments

When banks and hospitals shake hands, it's usually about loans, debt, or construction projects. But last week in Egypt, it was something more ambitious. Mohamed Ali, CEO and Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) - Egypt, sat down with Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairperson of the Egypt Healthcare Authority (EHA), inside the gleaming New Administrative Capital. The two weren't just talking about numbers. They were talking about reshaping Egypt's healthcare ecosystem — digital hospitals, AI hubs, and a new model of public-private partnership.

As Ali put it, "Our partnership with the Healthcare Authority marks a significant step toward sustaining healthcare investment. It reflects our commitment to corporate social responsibility through the enhancement of integrated services for citizens."

How does it work?

At its core, the partnership mixes finance with medicine in practical, boots-on-the-ground ways:

• Virtual healthcare: ADIB will help fund the operation of Egypt's first virtual hospital, part of a broader plan to create Africa's first fully digital hospital system.
• Data and AI: The collaboration covers a national health data centre and an AI sciences hub in Ismailia. El-Sobky described these projects as the backbone of Egypt's digital health transformation.
• Money skills for medics: Specialized training in financial management will be rolled out for healthcare staff. The goal? Boost economic literacy, sharpen efficiency, and make hospitals more sustainable.
• Financial inclusion: ATMs are being installed at authority-run facilities, helping doctors, nurses, and staff get paid seamlessly under the second phase of the universal health insurance scheme.

The effort isn't just about wires and servers. It's also about people — young doctors gaining access to national banking initiatives, rural clinics in Upper Egypt learning financial literacy, and hospital directors better equipped to balance the books.

Why does it matter?

Healthcare, more than most industries, suffers when money doesn't flow. Egypt's ambitions — universal health coverage, digital hospitals, and AI-driven medicine — require more than medical expertise. They need financing, management, and the kind of long-term stability that banks can underwrite.

Ali stressed that ADIB's role is about aligning banking muscle with national development goals. "It reflects our vision of backing national projects and attracting investment that supports Egypt's long-term development," he said.

For patients, the promise is simpler: better care, less red tape, and a system where digital tools close gaps in access. For the government, it's a chance to turn health into a sector that doesn't just cost money, but attracts it.

The context

Egypt has been pushing a sweeping digitalisation agenda, and healthcare sits at the heart of it. From the universal health insurance rollout to experiments with AI in clinical settings, the state is betting that technology plus investment can fast-track reform.

El-Sobky revealed that a new public-private partnership (PPP) model is in the works, opening the door for more banks and funds to participate. A memorandum of understanding with ADIB is on the horizon to lock in the partnership.

Seen in the bigger picture, this isn't just about one bank and one health authority. It's about setting a precedent: healthcare as a fertile ground for financial innovation in the Middle East. As El-Sobky framed it, the authority's aim is nothing short of "establishing Africa's first virtual hospital and the Middle East's largest digital health facility."

That's a bold claim. But with banks like ADIB stepping in, Egypt is signaling it won't shy away from bold bets.