The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and Eight Sleep, the global leader in sleep technology, have collaborated to study how AI-powered sleep technology could provide a new approach to managing conditions like sleep apnoea.
The partnership will begin with a first-of-its-kind clinical study in Abu Dhabi that connects real-world data from Eight Sleep’s technology with Abu Dhabi’s population health data. The initial study will focus on sleep apnoea, one of the most widespread and underdiagnosed sleep-related conditions globally. It will examine how smart bed technology, including real-time adjustments to body position, may help improve how the condition is managed.
During the 12-week study, Eight Sleep's technology will capture continuous sleep and physiological signals such as heart rate, breathing rate, movement, snoring, and positional data. Uniquely, this information will be connected into Abu Dhabi’s intelligent health system, allowing researchers to analyse these signals alongside participants real-time health data, including relevant clinical, genomic and lifestyle data, to identify patterns that may help to inform future treatment pathways and clinical research.
The study will be conducted by Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, an Abu Dhabi medical research hospital, and will operate with built-in oversight, governance, and data protection protocols.
Her Excellency Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Quality sleep is one of the strongest foundations of long-term health, yet common sleep disorders like sleep apnoea can significantly undermine it, raising the risk of serious health conditions when left unmanaged.
Our collaboration with Eight Sleep reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to the future of health: using data, research, and innovation to predict risk, intervene earlier, and improve outcomes. By generating real-world evidence from consumer sleep technology and integrating it with Abu Dhabi’s intelligent health system, we can help inform personalised care pathways for people with sleep apnoea and other related disorders affecting sleep.”
The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base for how consumer health technology can be responsibly integrated into clinical care and preventive health models. The research will also help evaluate how continuous sleep monitoring can complement existing clinical assessments and support future healthcare planning across the emirate.
Matteo Franceschetti, Co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, said: “Sleep is one of the most powerful signals of human health, yet it has historically been undermeasured and underutilised in medicine,” said. “This partnership with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi is an important step toward making sleep a core pillar of preventive care. By combining Eight Sleep’s continuous sleep data with Abu Dhabi’s world-class health intelligence infrastructure, we can help generate the clinical evidence needed to personalise interventions, support earlier action, and improve health outcomes over time.”
Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said: "Clinical research plays a critical role in transforming promising innovations into evidence that can improve patient care. Through this collaboration, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City is helping evaluate how emerging technologies can be rigorously assessed within real-world clinical settings to generate insights that inform future models of care. As an academic medical centre, we are committed to advancing research that supports more personalised, preventive and data-driven healthcare, creating lasting value for patients, clinicians and the wider health system."
Affecting nearly one billion people globally, sleep apnoea is a complex condition associated with increased risks of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. Symptoms often develop gradually and vary from night to night, so continuous monitoring has the potential to support earlier detection, more personalised interventions, and improved long-term management.
While the initial study focuses on sleep apnoea, DoH and Eight Sleep plan to study how sleep, temperature regulation, and recovery effect other areas of health, such as menopause and cancer care. The findings are expected to help show how everyday consumer health devices can be used safely and responsibly within clinical care and prevention.
The collaboration reinforces Abu Dhabi's continued investment in clinical research, health intelligence and responsible adoption of emerging technologies. By generating evidence within real-world care settings, the DoH continues to evaluate new approaches that can strengthen preventive health and improve long-term patient outcomes.
