Abu Dhabi partners with Eight Sleep to study AI-powered sleep technology for sleep apnoea care

UAE— The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has partnered with sleep technology company Eight Sleep to explore how artificial intelligence (AI)-powered sleep technology could improve the management of sleep apnoea.

The two organisations formalised the collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a clinical research programme that combines consumer sleep data with Abu Dhabi’s advanced population health system.

The initiative supports Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy to use digital health technologies, real-world evidence and artificial intelligence to advance preventive and personalised healthcare.

 Researchers hope the study will reveal new ways to identify and manage sleep disorders while laying the foundation for future clinical applications.

Clinical study to integrate real-world sleep and health data

The collaboration will begin with a first-of-its-kind 12-week clinical study in Abu Dhabi.

The research will connect real-world sleep data collected through Eight Sleep’s smart sleep technology with Abu Dhabi’s intelligent health platform, allowing scientists to examine sleep patterns alongside participants’ health information.

The initial focus will be on sleep apnoea, one of the world’s most common yet underdiagnosed sleep disorders.

Researchers will investigate whether smart bed technology, including automated adjustments to sleeping position, can help improve disease management and patient outcomes.

Throughout the study, Eight Sleep’s system will continuously collect physiological and sleep-related data, including heart rate, breathing rate, body movement, apnoea events and sleeping position.

Once integrated into Abu Dhabi’s intelligent health infrastructure, researchers will analyse these measurements together with participants’ clinical records, genomic information and relevant lifestyle data.

This combined approach aims to identify patterns that could support earlier diagnosis, personalised treatment strategies and future clinical research.

Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City to lead research

Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of Abu Dhabi’s leading research hospitals and part of the PureHealth Group, will oversee the clinical study.

The project will operate under established governance, ethical oversight and data protection protocols to ensure participant privacy and responsible use of health information.

Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said quality sleep is fundamental to maintaining long-term health, yet sleep apnoea and other sleep disorders often remain undiagnosed and untreated, increasing the risk of serious health complications.

She said the partnership reflects Abu Dhabi’s vision of using research, innovation and data-driven healthcare to predict disease risk, support earlier intervention and improve patient outcomes.

According to Dr. Al Ghaithi, integrating consumer sleep technology with the emirate’s intelligent health system will generate real-world evidence that could help develop more personalised care pathways for people living with sleep apnoea and related conditions.

Expanding the role of sleep in preventive healthcare

Matteo Franceschetti, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eight Sleep, described sleep as one of the strongest indicators of overall health but noted that healthcare has historically underused sleep data in clinical practice.

He said the collaboration with the Department of Health represents an important step toward making sleep assessment a central component of preventive medicine.

Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of SSMC, added that clinical research is essential for translating innovative technologies into evidence-based patient care.

He said the partnership will allow researchers to evaluate emerging sleep technologies in real-world clinical settings and generate insights that could shape future healthcare models.

Although the first phase centres on sleep apnoea, DoH and Eight Sleep plan to expand their research to examine how sleep quality, temperature regulation and overnight recovery influence other health conditions, including menopause and cancer care.

The partners will also investigate how consumer health technologies can be integrated safely and responsibly into clinical practice and disease prevention strategies.