Author
Asst Prof Barry Solaiman
Organisation/Institution
Hamad Bin Khalifa University, College of Law
Country
QATAR
Panel
Miscellaneous
Title
Healthcare AI and the Rule of Law: Regulatory Narratives from the GCC
Abstract
This paper explores the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare across Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), examining how each country’s regulatory efforts reflect broader narratives of the rule of law within the region. As Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries rise in prominence, they offer distinct approaches to AI governance that blend legal innovation with cultural and social priorities. These frameworks illustrate how regulatory models in Asia are evolving beyond Western paradigms by balancing collective interests, patient safety, and technological progress. The analysis follows the lifecycle of AI in healthcare—starting with the research phase, where Qatar’s focus on ethics and data protection highlights the importance of early-stage governance. Moving to the approval stage, Saudi Arabia’s tailored medical device regulations showcase the country’s initiative in addressing AI-specific challenges. Finally, the UAE’s deployment of AI in clinical practice demonstrates an integrated approach to adapting technology for healthcare, albeit with regulatory gaps that require further refinement. Together, these efforts create a patchwork of governance strategies that, while innovative, remain fragmented. This presentation argues for a cohesive regulatory model that reflects the region’s shared values while ensuring technological foresight and patient safety. Such an approach aligns with the broader discourse of rule of law within Asia—one that embraces both cultural coherence and modern regulatory needs, offering a unique pathway for global jurisdictions to follow in crafting their AI governance frameworks.
Biography
Dr. Barry Solaiman is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an Assistant Professor specializing in Healthcare Law at HBKU Law. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics in Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, where he serves as Co-Director of the Intersection of Law and Medicine Conference Series. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics. He was formerly Editor-in-Chief of both the Cambridge International Law Journal and Medicine and Law. He is co-editor of the Research Handbook on Health, AI and the Law (Edward Elgar 2024), which is the leading book in the field. He has published in leading journals on the regulation of AI in healthcare, including the Medical Law Review, the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, and the American Journal of Law and Medicine. He was Lead Principal Investigator for a grant at HBKU that created guidelines for the development of AI in healthcare research.
