UAE Opens Largest AI-Powered Diagnostic Lab to Process 30 Million Tests a Year

The UAE’s largest and most advanced AI-powered standalone diagnostic laboratory has officially opened in Abu Dhabi, marking a major milestone in the nation’s centralised healthcare infrastructure. The seven-storey, 70,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to process more than 30 million tests annually and will support a nationwide network of 140 internationally accredited laboratories.

Developed by PureLab, a subsidiary of PureHealth the Middle East’s largest healthcare group the facility is designed to significantly accelerate diagnosis times, enhance accuracy, and strengthen the UAE’s rapidly growing precision-medicine ecosystem. The lab was inaugurated by Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), alongside senior officials from DoH and PureHealth.

Built with future expansion in mind, the laboratory is equipped to meet rising national demand for high-volume and advanced diagnostic testing across multiple medical specialties. It operates 24/7, integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, real-time quality control, and the UAE’s most advanced automation and sample-transport systems.

Dr Fayeza Saif Alyafei, Executive Director of the Healthcare Quality Sector at DoH – Abu Dhabi, described the opening as a “significant step” toward a smarter, more integrated, and patient-centred healthcare system. She emphasised that innovation in diagnostics is key to improving accuracy, accelerating care delivery, and achieving better health outcomes.

The facility offers more than 1,800 test parameters spanning anatomic pathology, molecular genetics, infectious disease detection, histocompatibility testing for organ and bone marrow transplants, hematopathology, and environmental testing. Powered by a team of 1,300 expert consultants, it stands as the most comprehensive clinical diagnostics hub in the country.

A major highlight is the lab’s AI-enabled digital pathology platform, which uses Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) to convert traditional glass slides into high-resolution digital formats. As the central hub of the UAE’s Digital Pathology Initiative, the platform connects oncology centres nationwide, enabling real-time remote slide viewing and virtual consultations that speed up clinical decision-making.

According to Arindam Haldar, CEO of PureLab, the facility will serve as a national cornerstone for critical programmes such as newborn screening, infectious disease surveillance, and transplant compatibility testing, reinforcing the UAE’s leadership in AI-led pathology and preventive healthcare.

Sustainability is also central to the lab’s design. Features include rooftop solar panels, a fully hybrid transport fleet, energy-efficient infrastructure, and fully digital reporting to eliminate paper use aligned with the UAE’s net-zero ambitions.

By enabling healthcare providers to consolidate testing through a unified and cost-efficient platform, the facility reduces reliance on multiple laboratories while supporting community-facing services such as walk-in diagnostics and home-testing pilots. Together, these initiatives further strengthen the UAE’s transition toward a data-driven, patient-centric healthcare model.