It has been estimated that poor health reduces global GDP by up to a staggering 15% annually.24 A healthier economy is also a more productive one, and an intelligent health system directly delivers benefits by reducing healthcare spending through greater efficiency and fewer readmissions; indirectly by improving health outcomes that lead to a boost in productivity; and more broadly by building a data-driven ecosystem that generates long-term financial returns.3.2 A stronger economy A significant proportion of costs come from preventable hospital readmissions, duplicate testing and fraud and waste in claims. This is a global issue, with the OECD estimating that up to about 20% of healthcare spending is inefficient or wasteful.25 Through Abu Dhabi’s Malaffi and Shafafiya platforms, 3.5 billion unique clinical records and claim activities have been connected, reducing duplication and waste. This has resulted in reduced costs due to enhanced efficiencies and the avoidance of duplication of diagnostics. There have been further reductions in demand for certain cost drivers, including hospital readmissions and emergency room visits.26 Shafafiya is also enabling fraud and waste detection by flagging anomalies in claim analytics and supports billing standards. Intelligence applied to financial flows has reduced leakage and created fiscal space for reinvestment. The platform automates the coding process and integrates analytics that identify errors before and after claims are submitted. Capacity masterplan forecasts: More than 180 models have been created to predict supply and demand across the entire Abu Dhabi healthcare workforce. This allows for resources to be re-allocated in preparation for high-demand periods, such as seasonal flu, and to prepare for sudden shocks to the healthcare system, including pandemics and disasters.CASE STUDY 2 Effect on direct healthcare costs Malaffi – connecting Abu Dhabi’s healthcare ecosystem BOX 3 Malaffi, established in 2018 through a public– private partnership with M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services, is the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s first Health Information Exchange and among the most advanced globally. It securely connects public and private healthcare providers, enabling real-time exchange of patient data to improve care quality and coordination.By creating a unified database of patient records, Malaffi reduces duplication, enhances safety and supports better clinical decisions. During 2025, 81% of Abu Dhabi physicians used Malaffi monthly, with 3,000-plus connected facilities and more than 3.5 billion unique clinical records, making it a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s intelligent health system. Source: Malaffi. (2025, September). Malaffi progress report. https://www.malaffi.ae/malaffi-progress-report/ Shafafiya 2.0 – powering an intelligent health finance data exchange BOX 4 Shafafiya 2.0 is Abu Dhabi’s next-generation health insurance management platform, designed to be intelligent, interoperable and user-centric. It offers process automation, AI-powered workflows and enhances transparency and regulatory compliance across the healthcare ecosystem. By unifying data among payers, providers and regulators, Shafafiya 2.0 provides real-time insights to detect fraud, optimize reimbursement and improve efficiency. The platform supports the DoH’s vision of a patient-centric, data-driven health financial exchange that strengthens trust, sustainability and fiscal resilience across the intelligent health system. Source: Department of Health – Abu Dhabi; M42’s Abu Dhabi Health Data Services A New Era for Digital Health: Abu Dhabi’s Leap to Health Intelligence 21

A New Era for Digital Health 2026