AI-powered sleep revolution launched in Saudi Arabia

Al Arabiya

15-05-2025

Saudi citizens can now get their hands on what has been dubbed the world's most intelligent sleep system. Eight Sleep, the tech company that's turned beds into AI-powered health monitors, has officially expanded into the Kingdom - following its neighbouring UAE launch in November 2024 – as it unveils its most advanced system yet.
Pod 5 is an AI-powered sleep system that transforms ordinary beds into responsive environments that automatically adjust temperature, elevation, and sound based on user biometrics.
In interviews with Al Arabiya English, company executives and health experts reveal why the Kingdom represents their next potentially biggest market in the global sleep revolution, and why the timing couldn't be more critical – with proprietary user metrics from Eight Sleep revealing that Saudi Arabia ranks last in sleep quality among all 30 global markets where the brand operates.
'We've seen extraordinary early adoption across the region. People here are prioritizing sleep, and looking for smarter ways to improve it,' said Matteo Franceschetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, told Al Arabiya English. 'Pod 5 was built to change that. It's not just about cooling or comfort, it's about creating a smarter, more responsive sleep experience that works with your body, not against it.'
'Saudi Arabia and the UAE are strategic growth priorities for us, as the GCC is soon to become our second-largest market globally after the United States.'
'What's really exciting is seeing the world wake up to the idea that sleep isn't just passive, it's the foundation of health and wellbeing. With tools like Health Check, we're reimagining what a bed can do, transforming it from a place of rest into a daily health checkpoint that persistently monitors your body and flags early signs of stress or imbalance. It marks a powerful shift toward preventative care and real health transformation without the need for wearables.'
The Saudi expansion represents more than just new market territory for the sleep tech innovator—it signals a broader shift in how the region approaches health and wellness.
Franceschetti said that since launching in the UAE last November, the company has experienced 'record-breaking adoption with sales at the time 5x higher than any other market at launch.'
Perhaps most telling of the pent-up demand.
'In Saudi Arabia, over 100 Pods were already in use before we officially expanded to the market, with a sizable list of people on our waitlist,' Franceschetti told Al Arabiya English.
The Pod 5 system, now available in both UAE and Saudi Arabia, retails starting at $3,200 (SAR11,999) positioning it as a premium investment in sleep health.
The Pod 5: An intelligent sleep environment
Eight Sleep's Pod 5 represents a significant evolution in sleep technology, built around three core capabilities: immersive temperature control, zero-gravity elevation, and integrated surround sound. The modular system consists of four integrated components—the Cover, Hub, Blanket, and Base—that work in concert to create what the company calls a fully responsive sleep environment.
The system's temperature control features allow independent cooling or heating on each side of the bed from 12°C to 43°C, a particularly relevant feature for the region's climate challenges.
'The data tells a clear story: people in this region struggle to get high-quality sleep,' said Franceschetti. 'Pod 5 was built to change that. It's not just about cooling or comfort, it's about creating a smarter, more responsive sleep experience that works with your body, not against it.'
The new hydro-powered Blanket works with the Cover to extend temperature control across the entire body, effectively doubling the system's thermal performance. Meanwhile, the Base component adds adjustable elevation to reduce snoring and improve circulation, along with integrated speakers that deliver science-backed audio designed to support relaxation.
What distinguishes Pod 5 from conventional sleep technology is its AI-driven Autopilot feature, which learns individual sleep patterns and automatically adjusts settings throughout the night. The system responds to biometric data in real-time, making preemptive adjustments before the sleeper is aware they're needed—essentially like having a sleep butler who never takes a night off.
Dr. Elie Abirached, a Dubai-based longevity expert and founder of Limitless Human, explained to Al Arabiya English why this automation matters particularly in the GCC: 'In the GCC, sleep is often impacted by a unique mix of factors—from extreme heat and social jetlag to high daily stress. What makes Autopilot so impactful is that it removes the guesswork and doesn't just monitor your sleep—it actively responds to it.'
The system also introduces Health Check, an AI-powered algorithm that monitors cardiovascular and respiratory health during sleep without requiring wearable devices. Using sensors embedded in the Pod Cover, it tracks metrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep stages, with heart rate tracking claimed to match the 99 percent accuracy of clinical-grade ECGs.
'We see Health Check as the future of health—where your bed not only helps you recover but also acts as an early warning system for your body,' said Franceschetti. 'It's a shift towards preventive care with no wearables on your body, leveraging the 7 to 9 hours that you spend on your bed every day to conduct a review of your health.' In other words, your bed will soon know more about your health than you do—and might be the first to tell you when something's wrong.
The GCC sleep crisis
The GCC region presents a perfect storm of sleep challenges.
Environmental factors like extreme heat combine with cultural norms of late-night social activities and high-intensity work cultures to create significant sleep disruption.
'In the GCC, the challenges to sleep go far beyond individual habits,' said Dr. Abirached. 'You have environmental, cultural, and physiological disruptors all layered together. Extreme heat and air conditioning cycles disrupt thermoregulation. High-intensity work culture, late social hours, fasting patterns, and frequent travel all distort circadian rhythms.'
He adds that increased light and noise exposure, especially in urban centers like Dubai and Riyadh, interferes with melatonin production and recovery.
'These stressors accumulate. The body doesn't differentiate between blue light at midnight and jet lag from a long-haul flight, it simply reacts with dysregulation.'
The health implications of this regional sleep deficit are substantial.
'Sleep is not a luxury; it's a biological necessity. Chronic poor sleep is one of the most powerful accelerators of biological aging affecting everything from hormonal balance and cognitive function to immune resilience and metabolic health,' said Dr. Abirached.
Eight Sleep's user data confirms these regional challenges, showing both Saudi Arabia and the UAE among the top 10 countries where users set their Pod to cooler settings—a clear indication of how heat disruption impacts rest in the region.
Alexandra Zatarain, Eight Sleep Co-Founder & VP of Brand and Marketing, told Al Arabiya English that there is a shift in regional wellness priorities.
'The GCC is quickly becoming one of the most interesting regions in the world for sleep innovation. We're seeing consumers invest more intentionally in their wellbeing, recent studies show that over half (51 percent) of people in the UAE and more than a third (43 percent) in Saudi increased their fitness spend last year.'
This wellness trend is accelerating, with Zatarain saying that 'nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of people in Saudi and more than half (55 percent) in the UAE say they plan to spend even more this year.' That mindset is extending to sleep investment, as regional consumers increasingly seek solutions for their specific sleep challenges.
'Sleep isn't just catching up to the wellness conversation in the GCC, it's becoming the next frontier,' said Zatarain.
The integration of AI and biometric monitoring into everyday sleep environments represents a shift from reactive healthcare to proactive wellness management. 'With tools like Health Check, we're reimagining what a bed can do, transforming it from a place of rest into a daily health checkpoint that persistently monitors your body and flags early signs of stress or imbalance,' says Franceschetti. 'In fast-growing markets like Saudi Arabia, where the sleep tech segment is set to more than double by 2030, and across the wider GCC where smart bed adoption is accelerating, there's a clear opportunity to shape what the future of sleep looks like.'
The company has also partnered with Dr. Andrew Huberman to introduce Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) content exclusively for Pod 5 users—guided meditation techniques designed for deep relaxation and restorative states, proving that even neuroscientists are getting into the sleep game.
'Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) is one of the most powerful tools for recovery, cognitive resilience, and nervous system reset,' said Huberman. 'Eight Sleep's innovation lies in embedding science-based tools like NSDR directly into the sleep environment, amplifying the body's ability to restore itself every night through intelligent design.'
Zatarain sees sleep technology evolving beyond mere comfort or convenience in her exclusive interview: 'Sleep tech is going to play a central role in the future of wellness, not just by improving how we rest, but by helping us take a more proactive approach to health.'
She adds, 'This kind of intelligent, invisible support is what the next era of wellness looks like. It's not about doing more, it's about having the right systems in place that can personalize recovery and performance. Your bed isn't just for sleep anymore; it's your body's nightly check-in for recovery, resilience, and long-term health.'
Dr. Abirached added: 'Technology alone isn't enough. What we need, and what makes Eight Sleep's Pod 5 compelling, is intelligent automation that adapts to the user and to the environment.'
'That's particularly valuable in the GCC, where sleep disruptors are layered, unpredictable, and often out of the sleeper's control.'
'Sleep health in the GCC is undergoing a major evolution. For years, the focus here has been on productivity, but now we're seeing a powerful shift toward recovery, performance sustainability, and longevity. Sleep is at the center of that transformation.'