Saudi Arabia leads global peers in AI and digital health adoption, EY report finds

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a global frontrunner in digital health and AI adoption, according to a new EY report launched at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. The report, Navigating the Future of Health in Saudi Arabia, attributes the trend to a young, digitally connected population and ongoing healthcare modernisation across the Kingdom.

The findings are based on a survey of 1,002 Saudi respondents, part of a wider global study of nearly 7,700 consumers across ten countries. According to EY, 69% of Saudi consumers use AI tools for health information, the highest proportion of any country surveyed, while 78% track their health digitally, compared with a global average of 57%.

Ahmad Ahmad, EY MENA Government and Infrastructure Leader, said the maturity of Saudi Arabia’s digital health landscape gives healthcare organisations and policymakers an opportunity to connect innovation with clinical care, and called for stronger digital health literacy and governance frameworks around AI and health data.

The report also links AI-enabled insights to behavioural change. EY found that AI tools prompted 61% of Saudi respondents to adjust their physical activity, 58% to change their diet and 48% to modify their sleep habits. Around 45% said AI-powered research influenced their decision to seek professional medical advice, and 86% said they had requested or considered a clinical action, such as a test, treatment or prescription, based on AI-generated information.

Fadi Smeirat, EY MENA Healthcare and Life Sciences Consulting Leader, said technology in Saudi Arabia has moved from a passive tracking tool into an active partner in the consumer wellness journey.

The report points to strong clinical integration alongside this consumer enthusiasm. EY found that 88% of Saudi consumers are willing to share wearables and health app data with providers, while 46% said their healthcare professionals actively use wearables data, well above the global average of 30%. Some 75% said they were comfortable using AI throughout the patient journey, from scheduling appointments to receiving treatment recommendations.

Despite the high levels of AI adoption, EY’s findings suggest this has not displaced trust in clinical professionals: 89% of Saudi respondents said they trust their healthcare providers, and a similar proportion view AI as a complement to clinical expertise rather than a substitute for it.