Takalam and Inception launch Sanad – the AI assistant for therapists

In a country where innovation moves at breakneck speed, the UAE's digital health sector just took another leap forward. Takalam, the award-winning mental health platform, and Inception, a G42 company known for pushing the limits of AI, have unveiled Sanad — a bilingual (Arabic-English) AI assistant built to lighten the load for therapists.

A year in the making, Sanad isn't just another chatbot or automation tool. It's designed to bridge empathy with efficiency — the kind of digital help that allows therapists to spend less time on paperwork and more time doing what really matters: listening, understanding, and healing.

As Takalam's founder Khawla Hammad put it, *"Sanad blends cultural understanding with cutting-edge AI to create tools that make people feel seen, heard, and supported."*

How does it work?

Think of Sanad as a digital co-pilot for mental health professionals. It handles the grunt work — patient intake, case prep, and admin tasks — while the therapist stays focused on human connection.

Here's what makes Sanad stand out:

• Bilingual intelligence: Fluent in Arabic and English, it enables real dialogue that resonates with both language and culture.
• Culturally tuned: Trained on data reflecting the MENA region's clinical and social context — a rare and valuable layer of localization.
• Clinically sound: Validated for both security and therapeutic effectiveness.
• Supportive by design: Helps therapists manage treatment plans and organize their workflow with ease.

As Ashish Koshy, CEO of Inception, explained, *"With Sanad, we're proving that UAE innovation can lead the world — advancing bilingual AI and transforming digital mental health."*

Why does it matter?

Mental health care is deeply personal. Therapists are often stretched thin, juggling emotional labor with administrative overload. Sanad aims to give them breathing room — a way to scale compassion without losing the human touch.

Its bilingual capacity means millions across the region can finally access care that feels familiar, not foreign. By blending empathy with efficiency, Sanad could set a new global standard for digital therapy tools.

Beyond convenience, it signals something deeper: the rise of ethical AI in healthcare — one that respects privacy, security, and cultural nuance.

The context

Sanad didn't emerge in a vacuum. It's a product of Abu Dhabi's growing commitment to digital well-being and its push to become a hub for AI innovation in healthcare.

Takalam, born from this vision, has been redefining access to mental health through online counseling, mood tracking, journaling, and self-help resources — all tailored to local sensibilities. The company's collaborations span research institutions and health organizations determined to make mental wellness both scalable and sustainable.

Inception, meanwhile, serves as G42's intelligence engine, powering applied AI across domains like health, energy, and climate. Within this ecosystem, Sanad is more than a product — it's a statement of intent: that AI and empathy can coexist, and together, they can reshape the future of care.

As Sanad enters broader testing, Takalam and Inception are calling for partners — from healthcare providers to universities — to join in shaping its evolution. The goal? To expand access, accelerate innovation, and bring mental health support within everyone's reach.

Because in the end, the most powerful technology doesn't just think — it understands.