The health of the Saudi population has undergone a remarkable transformation since the middle of the twentieth century, with life expectancy in the Kingdom increasing from 41 years in 1950 to 77 years in 2021. Yet these incredible gains in life expectancy have been countered by health concerns associated with an ageing population. This will become more acute in the coming decades: 9.5% of the Saudi population will be over 65 years old by 2035, increasing to 20% by 2050. An aging population will inevitably lead to an increased prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and dementia. At the same time, Saudi Arabia suffers from an unusually high prevalence of genetic diseases due in part to a high rate of consanguinity. Critical advances in health and well-being are further at risk due to the changing climate, declining air quality and the rise of cross-border travel. These factors contribute to premature mortality while increasing the risks from communicable disease threats and antimicrobial resistance. These facts demonstrate the unique and dynamic demands of maintaining a healthy Saudi population.  

In this context and in response to the Health and Wellness national priority of the Kingdom, the KAUST Center of Excellence for Smart Health (KCSH) was founded, with Professor Imed Gallouzi as Chair and Professor Xin Gao as co-Chair. With partners across the Kingdom, including government Ministries and national hospitals and research centers, the Center will develop innovative smart-health technologies and work to integrate these technologies into the healthcare system.  

“Smart health is the use of smart and digital technologies, from smartphones to supercomputers, to collect and mine data that will be used for personalized diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease,” says Chair Imed Gallouzi.  

To build health solutions, the Center has assembled experts in not just the biological sciences, but also experts in computer science (including AI and machine learning), materials science, engineering and statistics to develop and deploy smart-health technologies and knowledge to address communicable and non-communicable disease challenges. The collaborative nature of the Center members, both within KAUST and with outside partners, has already been established through industry collaborations, resulting in successful commercialized projects that have led, for example, to the development of cameras for diabetes care and gene sequencing tools for the detection of rare genetic diseases. Along with benefits to physiological health, the technologies developed will improve the economic health of the Kingdom, putting it at the forefront of new health industries. 

Indeed, with the aspiration to use groundbreaking science to transform healthcare, the necessary infrastructure is being built to benefit the entire healthcare ecosystem. Numerous platforms will be established, such as cell biobanks that house primary cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and organoids for the study of disease and development; a microbiome vault to serve as a source for probiotics, postbiotics and other biotechnology products; and a viral vector platform to test gene therapies and study gene regulations. These facilities will place KAUST at the center of the health research network in the Kingdom and increase collaborations with medical institutes and companies. In addition, the Center hosts the first M.D.-Ph.D. program in the Kingdom. Here, students fulfill their medical degree requirements at a partner in-Kingdom university followed by their Ph.D. at KAUST. This program will provide a new pipeline for clinicians to pursue a research career and strengthen KAUST’s connections with university hospitals. The above are in addition to the research facilities KAUST will share with our partners, including some of the best genome sequencing and supercomputing facilities and prototyping services in the Middle East.   

Focused Research Areas   

The research activity of the KCSH will focus on both biology-driven (One Health, and Healthy Aging and Regenerative Technologies) and smart-technology-driven (Smart Diagnostic and Sensing Technologies, and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology) approaches. The integrated structure of these four themes positions the KCSH to address key challenges in communicable and noncommunicable diseases while delivering tangible impact to the Saudi population.  

• One Health: This theme is a comprehensive research approach that aims to combat and control communicable diseases that threaten Saudi Arabia. The One Health concept integrates human, animal and environmental well-being, linked by microbiomes vital for ecosystem functionality. Healthy microbiomes support balanced ecosystems and reduce pollutants, positively impacting human health while contributing to biotechnological advances. Severe imbalances precipitate pandemics and exacerbate antimicrobial resistance (AMR), threatening the health advances of Saudi Arabia, the region and the planet. The One Health theme will use this approach to monitor ecosystems and ameliorate imbalances, defending Saudi Arabia against emerging microbial- and chemical-associated health threats that will become increasingly prevalent due to climate change, anthropogenic activities and increased global travel.  

• Healthy Aging and Regenerative Technologies (HeART): This theme addresses the imminent and pressing challenges associated with promoting healthy longevity, particularly in the context of an aging population in Saudi Arabia and globally. The theme will work to mount a comprehensive approach to mitigating the health impacts of noncommunicable diseases. The primary focus of HeART lies in advancing our understanding of normal aging mechanisms. This theme aims to develop tangible interventions that can slow, stop or even reverse age-associated health impacts.  

• Smart Diagnostic and Sensing Technologies: This theme is committed to developing novel concepts and innovative tools to manage Saudi Arabia’s pressing health challenges, including communicable disease control, biosurveillance methods and age-related conditions. The work of this theme is at the forefront of advanced sensing, diagnostic and data-processing technologies that emphasize proactive health care and preventative medicine. The Smart Diagnostic and Sensing Technologies theme incorporates expert faculty members adept at building smart-health solutions for rapid diagnostics, advanced health monitoring and targeted treatment delivery. These tools reshape and optimize the healthcare infrastructure to meet the shifting demographics and intensifying health needs of the growing Saudi population.  

• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB): This theme develops methods and algorithms for analyzing biological and biomedical big datasets, offering the tools and methodologies essential for managing, mining, predicting disease onset and progression, and accelerating the progression from research to clinical application. This integrated approach allows the Center to meaningfully tackle the extraordinarily complex and multifaceted health challenges of the Kingdom.