How AI is decoding multi-omics data to boost health and longevity in Saudi Arabia
Central to this transformation is the integration of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other omics disciplines into clinical practice — powered by AI. Leading the charge is Rewind, a Saudi Arabia-based company using the technology to pioneer proactive, individualized care.
'At Rewind, we harness the power of AI and omics technologies to shift healthcare from a generalized, reactive model to one that is deeply personalized and proactive,' Dr. Walid Zaher, the founder of Rewind, told Arab News.
'AI is the engine that makes this vast data actionable. It identifies patterns, predicts health risks, and recommends the most effective interventions for each individual.'
He said that 'such a dynamic, data-driven approach' enables healthcare to be 'as unique as the patient it serves.'
• Integrating AI with omics-based diagnostics supports early disease detection and predicts health risks.
• In cancer care, AI and genomics are used together to match patients with the most effective targeted therapies.
• Saudi Arabia, the US, and the UK are making major investments in the integration of AI and omics.
Omics refers to a group of biological fields ending with the suffix '-omics,' each examining a different layer of biological data on a system-wide scale. Together, they offer a comprehensive view of how the body functions.
Transitioning from this broad understanding to actionable insights requires AI's ability to analyze trillions of variables across DNA, protein expression, metabolic changes, and epigenetic shifts. This capability allows practitioners to intervene earlier and more accurately than ever.
'Omics-based diagnostics have already begun to make a profound impact on patient outcomes,' said Zaher.
'The precision enabled by genomics and multi-omics technologies allows us to detect diseases at their earliest molecular stages — often well before any clinical symptoms appear.
'Beyond disease detection, multi-omics approaches help in monitoring disease progression and response to treatments. The result has been an increase in patient satisfaction, as they experience better health outcomes and more personalized care.'
Saudi Arabia's commitment to health innovation is evident in both its infrastructure and ambition. National initiatives like the Saudi Genome Program and investments through the Hevolution Foundation are driving the development of a knowledge-based healthcare system aligned with Vision 2030.
'Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has made healthcare innovation a strategic priority,' said Zaher. 'The government has invested heavily in infrastructure that supports cutting-edge research, particularly in AI, genomics, and biotechnology.'
This focus is positioning Saudi Arabia as a major player in the global longevity economy, according to Dmitry Kaminskiy, a co-founder and managing partner of Deep Knowledge Group.
'Saudi Arabia and its GCC counterparts are strategically positioned to be not just participants but global pioneers in the longevity economy,' Kaminskiy told Arab News.
'With Vision 2030, the Kingdom has set the foundation for integrating economic diversification, healthcare innovation, and AI governance — all key components of a national longevity strategy.'
Kaminskiy, who has authored multiple books on AI and healthspan, believes that AI has shifted from a supporting role to something far more central to the field.
'We are now witnessing a paradigm shift where AI is not just an assistant but the architect of next-generation healthcare platforms,' he said. 'Just as fintech redefined personal finance, AI will redefine personal health.'
Despite these advancements, significant challenges remain in mainstreaming AI and omics-based care into national systems. Zaher of Rewind noted that overcoming these hurdles will require both technological and cultural shifts.
'Integrating AI and precision medicine into a national healthcare system comes with several challenges, the most pressing of which is the need for a robust data infrastructure,' he said.
'Healthcare data is often fragmented or siloed, making it difficult to create a cohesive system that AI can utilize effectively.'
Another critical challenge is training healthcare providers to engage with this new era of medicine.
Zaher said the integration of AI and precision medicine into clinical practice demands 'a level of technological literacy that has yet to become widespread across the healthcare workforce.
'We need targeted training programs that equip providers with the skills to interpret AI-generated insights and translate them into actionable, patient-centered care,' he added.
Looking ahead, Kaminskiy said establishing ethical data governance will be vital to ensuring progress.
'Data is the lifeblood of AI-powered longevity,' he said. 'But it is not just the amount of data that matters — it is the ownership, security, and ethical governance of that data that will define the winners in this domain.'
The Hevolution Foundation is playing a key role in funding and shaping the longevity research agenda in the region.
According to Zaher, it is 'poised to play a pivotal role in accelerating global healthspan science by providing the funding and resources necessary to drive innovation in aging research.
'Through supporting projects that focus on extending healthspan and preventing age-related diseases, Hevolution is helping to set a global standard for longevity science,' he added.
As Saudi Arabia expands its investment in AI-driven healthcare and global collaborations deepen, the boundaries between technology, biology, and medicine are blurring — bringing the goal of healthy aging closer to reality.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia crowns new technology unicorn
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa region have witnessed a surge of startup funding rounds in recent weeks, underscoring the Kingdom's pivotal role in driving technology investment and digital transformation across diverse sectors. Saudi-based quick-commerce startup Ninja has raised $250 million in a funding round led by Riyad Capital, lifting its valuation to $1.5 billion and marking its emergence as the country's latest technology unicorn. Founded in 2022 by Saud Al Qahtani and Canberk Donmez, Ninja delivers groceries and daily essentials across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, reflecting the region's growing appetite for fast, tech-enabled consumer services. The fresh capital will enable the company to scale logistics capabilities, expand into new geographies, and lay the groundwork for a planned public listing on the Saudi Exchange by 2027. The transaction highlights Riyad Capital's role as a prominent institutional investor in MENA startups, as well as Saudi Arabia's rising stature as a venture capital hub as it diversifies its economy under Vision 2030. PetroApp secures $50m to digitize fuel and fleet management PetroApp, Saudi Arabia's digital fuel and fleet management platform, has raised $50 million in a funding round led by Jadwa Investment through its GCC Diversified Private Equity Fund, with participation from Bunat Ventures. Established in 2018 by Abdulaziz Al-Senan, PetroApp operates a cashless system designed to streamline corporate and government fleet payments while reducing fraud. The platform also offers value-added vehicle services such as oil changes, car washes, and tire replacements. The capital injection will support PetroApp's retail launch within Saudi Arabia, accelerate its international expansion plans, and further develop its proprietary technology infrastructure. Tariq Al-Sudairy, managing director and CEO of Jadwa Investment, said: 'PetroApp presents a compelling investment opportunity, supported by a robust technology infrastructure and strong network effects.' Abdulaziz Al-Senan, co-founder and CEO of PetroApp, described the partnership as a critical milestone, adding: 'We are excited to embark on this partnership at a pivotal stage in PetroApp's journey. Jadwa's institutional expertise will be critical in strengthening our foundation, accelerating growth, and expanding our leadership in Saudi Arabia and beyond.' Flawless raises $1.5m to expand AI-powered career guidance Saudi Arabia-based Flawless has secured $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from a group of unnamed angel investors with an emphasis on early-stage innovation. Founded by Shaimaa Al-Ghamdi, the platform combines generative artificial intelligence with principles of social psychology to deliver personalized career guidance to users seeking better-informed professional decisions. Flawless evolved from a personal blog launched in 2023 to a fully operational digital business in 2024, targeting a gap in the market for data-driven career support solutions. Al-Ghamdi said: 'What began as a passion project is now a data-driven platform helping thousands make smarter career decisions.' She added: 'This funding validates our approach and gives us the fuel to scale responsibly and impactfully.' The investment will be allocated to scaling the company's technology infrastructure, refining its product offering, and recruiting new talent to grow operations. Byzanlink raises $1m to build blockchain-based financial infrastructure Dubai-based Byzanlink, a real-world asset tokenization platform, has closed a $1 million private funding round backed by Outlier Ventures, NTDP Saudi Arabia, Smart IT Frame, Sensei Capital, and several angel investors. Founded in 2024 by Anbu Kannappan, the startup operates from Dubai Multi Commodities Centre and is focused on building infrastructure to tokenize traditional financial assets for both institutional and retail investors. What began as a passion project is now a data-driven platform helping thousands make smarter career decisions. Shaimaa Al-Ghamdi, Flawless founder The company aims to improve market access, transparency, and operational efficiency through blockchain technology. Byzanlink plans to allocate the proceeds toward product development, expanding integrations with ecosystem partners, and reinforcing compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks. Kannappan said: 'Support from such a diverse and forward-thinking group of partners is a strong signal for what we're building. We believe the next generation of financial infrastructure will be powered by transparency, automation, and access. We're committed to building that foundation.' Idea-L secures $1m to scale venture creation platform UAE-based idea-L has raised a $1 million pre-seed round from a group of undisclosed angel investors to advance its AI and Web3-powered venture creation platform. Founded in 2024 by Peter Goodwin, Daniel Muller, and Mark Hill, idea-L is designed to help entrepreneurs transform early-stage concepts into investor-ready businesses through automation and digital collaboration tools. The funding will be used primarily for technical hiring, platform enhancements, and the launch of new products intended to streamline venture creation workflows. The company aims to position itself as a key enabler in the UAE's growing startup ecosystem by combining generative AI and tokenized ownership structures. InstaBank secures $15m to drive digital banking in Iraq InstaBank, officially operating as Al-Fawr Digital Bank, has raised $15 million in funding to support the rollout and growth of its digital banking services in Iraq. UAE-based EQIQ, a venture capital fund and venture builder, contributed $3 million as part of the round, which aims to transform Iraq's underdeveloped banking sector. Founded in 2025 by Hussain Qaragholi, InstaBank plans to use AI-powered tools and customer-centric design to deliver accessible, scalable financial services. The digital bank will play a central role in EQIQ's broader fintech strategy, which integrates banking, logistics, and social commerce solutions to accelerate financial inclusion across Iraq. The investment underscores the rising investor interest in digitizing the country's financial infrastructure and tapping into its large unbanked population. EQIQ views InstaBank as a strategic asset to drive economic participation and modernize financial ecosystems. AgriCash raises seed funding to scale AI-powered agri-fintech platform Egypt-based agri-fintech platform AgriCash has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding in a round led by Alex Angels, with participation from regional investors. Founded in 2024 by Diaa Youssef and Mostafa El-Sehli, AgriCash offers farmers a digital platform combining financing solutions, AI-driven agronomic insights, crop insurance, and access to input markets. The funding will help AgriCash expand its operations across Egypt and into neighboring markets, strengthen its AI infrastructure, and finalize integrations with insurance and banking partners. The company's flagship buy now, pay later model provides farmers with interest-free access to agricultural and livestock supplies for up to 12 months, with credit ceilings of up to 3 million Egyptian pounds ($60,777). AgriCash aims to achieve 500 million Egyptian pounds in business volume by 2025 and plans to launch livestock financing in 2026 to consolidate its position as an end-to-end agri-finance platform serving smallholder farmers and commercial producers.
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Arab News
Zscaler expands public data center footprint in Kingdom
Zscaler, Inc., a provider of cloud security solutions, has announced the strategic expansion of its public data center infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Middle East's dynamic digital economy. This move enhances the availability of Zscaler Private Access in the region and supports growing customer demand for secure, scalable cloud solutions that align with local compliance and data sovereignty requirements. As digital transformation accelerates across the Kingdom, Zscaler's expanded infrastructure ensures lower latency, improved performance, and full alignment with Saudi Arabia's regulatory landscape. The data center investment allows organizations across the region to embrace cloud-first strategies with greater confidence, enabling seamless, secure access to applications and data — regardless of user location. 'We're deeply invested in the Middle East's digital future,' said Saeed Agha, vice president of emerging markets at Zscaler. 'Our growing presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a reflection of our commitment to helping organizations adopt Zero Trust architecture at scale, while assuring to meet the highest standards of data privacy, sovereignty, and operational resilience.' Zscaler's approach is anchored in three core pillars: • Data localization and customer control: Zscaler adheres to strict privacy by design principles. Customer content is not stored, logs are tokenized and encrypted, and logging data is retained only as long as necessary — within preferred geographies. • Transparency and government access: Zscaler maintains a firm stance on transparency. In 2024, the company received 91 government requests for user data and disclosed none — reinforcing its customer-first data protection philosophy. • Built for resilience: Zscaler's global cloud infrastructure is engineered with multi-layered failover, disaster recovery, and service continuity, ensuring businesses remain securely connected even during outages or disruptions. With more than 150 data centers globally — including an expanding footprint in Saudi Arabia — Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange platform enables organizations to securely connect users, workloads, and devices across distributed environments, all while reducing risk and complexity. This latest milestone follows Zscaler's successful presence at LEAP 2025 and further strengthens its position as the trusted security partner for governments, enterprises, and critical sectors across the Middle East.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
How Saudi Arabia is using innovation, research, and regulation to turn waste into a circular economy success
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates toward a circular economy under Vision 2030, experts say universities, research institutions, and business leaders are playing a crucial role in developing innovative waste management solutions that align with national sustainability goals. In early 2024, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture announced a waste management plan aiming to recycle up to 95 percent of waste and add SR120 billion ($31.99 billion) to the Kingdom's gross domestic product. Saudi Arabia generates more than 110 million tons of waste each year, much of it originating from cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. Its waste management market is projected to grow from $5.97 billion in 2025 to $8.72 billion by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence. To meet this challenge, academic partnerships, regulatory reforms and emerging technologies are coming together to reshape the sector, Sultan Al-Muaythir, chairman of the civil engineering department at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, told Arab News. Forming knowledge-sharing agreements with leading countries in waste management, he said, is a strategic step toward building a sustainable, locally adapted system that draws on global best practices and aligns with Saudi Arabia's circular economy ambitions. To drive innovation in the sector, Al-Muaythir emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary support. Fields like civil engineering, landfill and waste management, geotechnical engineering, and soil sciences all contribute to the design and development of critical infrastructure. Mechanical engineering plays a key role in advancing collection and treatment equipment, while chemical, agricultural and biotechnology engineering disciplines help analyze waste composition and develop transformation processes. Electrical engineering, he added, is essential for operating smart systems and managing energy generated through treatment. Al-Muaythir also pointed to the Kingdom's updated regulatory landscape, particularly the introduction of the Waste Management Law and its executive regulations, as a strong foundation for encouraging innovation and investment in sustainable practices. He explained that the next phase calls for faster plan implementation, broader international research collaboration and direct incentives for advanced processing technologies — steps that would speed up the Kingdom's progress toward its environmental and development goals. While government action is essential, Al-Muaythir said innovation in waste management is not a luxury, but a necessity for building a clean environment and a functioning circular economy. He added that individual responsibility plays an equally important role. 'Adopting conscious behaviors towards waste and committing to sorting and reuse/recycling constitute the first building blocks in creating a more sustainable future,' he said. Expanding on this vision, Abdullah Alakel, chairman of the Saudi Scientific Research and Innovation Association, said waste management innovation is a cornerstone of Vision 2030's broader goal to build a circular and sustainable economy. He told Arab News that scientific research is a key driver in tackling environmental challenges — from recycling and waste-to-energy technologies to the use of artificial intelligence to improve sorting and collection processes — ultimately boosting operational efficiency and reducing environmental harm. To support this ecosystem, the association provides business incubators and innovation accelerators, offering technical and financial assistance. It also facilitates connections between researchers, donors and investors to help turn ideas into market-ready solutions. Alakel noted that several joint initiatives with academic and industrial partners are already underway, including efforts to convert organic waste into economic products such as fertilizers and biofuels. DID YOU KNOW? • Saudi Arabia aims to recycle up to 95 percent of its waste by 2040. Waste management sector is projected to contribute $32bn to GDP by 2040. • Half of the Kingdom's waste comes from Riyadh (21 percent), Jeddah (14 percent) and Dammam (8 percent). (Sources: Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Waste Management) Other projects aim to develop scalable recycling technologies and improve overall waste management efficiency. Beyond research, the association works to foster a culture of sustainability across society. Alakel said it organizes public awareness campaigns, educational workshops in schools and universities, and national competitions that encourage creative, environmentally responsible solutions. He added that the association plays a critical role in bridging academia and implementation by hosting scientific conferences, building strategic partnerships and supporting national innovation deployment in alignment with Vision 2030's environmental goals. Farah Al-Gharib, CEO of Precision & Choice Environmental Solutions, echoed those views, underscoring the opportunity to enhance coordination between stakeholders as Saudi Arabia moves toward a circular economy. She told Arab News that aligning regulations, expanding infrastructure for sorting and collection, and stimulating private investment remain key challenges. Raising public awareness and promoting innovation are also essential to achieving sector-wide transformation. To accelerate progress, Al-Gharib called for a more integrated and flexible system that encourages public-private partnerships. Activating source-level sorting and offering financial incentives to investors, she said, would help drive growth in the sector. Clear metrics, such as waste reduction, cost savings and job creation, should be used to measure success. Looking ahead, she expects more companies to invest in smart technologies and expand their collection and treatment networks. Seamless integration across the entire waste value chain — from source to processing and redistribution — is essential, she said, to avoid bottlenecks and uphold the core principles of the circular economy. 'Based on our experience in the sector, we believe that unifying and updating regulations under a single, clear, and transparent regulatory framework would directly contribute to attracting investors, reducing the complexity of procedures and the classification of recyclable products, thereby accelerating regulatory processes and stimulating production,' said Al-Gharib. She concluded that clear legislation and coordinated responsibilities across authorities are key to scaling up circular economy initiatives effectively and sustainably.
