Dubai Launches AI-Powered Virtual ICU to Transform Critical Care

The initiative, being tested at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, uses advanced cameras and data analytics to detect early signs of patient distress and instantly alert nurses.

Dubai Health has launched an ambitious pilot project introducing a Virtual ICU, an artificial intelligence-powered system designed to transform intensive care through real-time patient monitoring.

The initiative, being tested at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, uses advanced cameras and data analytics to detect early signs of patient distress and instantly alert nurses.

According to Hend Majed Al Abbar, Director of the AI Enablement Department at Dubai Health, the Virtual ICU integrates AI cameras with the health authority’s unified electronic medical record system, Salama. These cameras analyse patients’ movements, facial expressions, and skin tone in real time, automatically flagging any abnormal changes to medical staff.

The ten-bed pilot programme is also being remotely monitored by specialists at the National Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., enabling around-the-clock supervision and knowledge sharing. The system is expected to go live in December 2025, after which results will determine its expansion to other intensive care units across Dubai’s hospitals.

By combining visual analytics with clinical data, the Virtual ICU strengthens patient safety and enables faster interventions, potentially reducing hospital stays and improving survival rates. The AI system continuously records vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure, ensuring even subtle physiological changes are detected promptly.

Al Abbar said the goal is to support, not replace, healthcare professionals: “AI enables us to identify distress early, act quickly, and improve outcomes for critically ill patients.” Similar virtual care models have already been adopted in several leading US hospitals.

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