First product to market from UAE and Israel will be in healthcare technology

HBKiCare is an Internet of Things-connected healthcare platform to monitor patients that have recovered from Covid-19 as well as the elderly

Demand for home-based healthcare is on the rise. Getty Images

The UAE's Hamad Bin Khalifa Department of Projects is partnering with an Israeli technology company to launch a remote health care monitoring product in both countries.

HBKiCare is an Internet of Things-connected healthcare platform that will help monitor patients that have recovered from Covid-19 as well as the elderly.

The partnership with Sure Universal is the first joint venture between an Israeli technology company and an Emirati company to launch a product after the Abraham Accord to normalise relations between the two countries was signed last week.

Covid-19 has accelerated demand for remote healthcare and led to a sharp increase in demand for TeleHealth solutions.

This year there has been a spike in hospitalisations and deaths in adults aged 65 and above, along with a 64 per cent rise in TeleHealth demand driven by patient-doctor social distancing needs, according to Frost & Sullivan. The global market value for TeleHealth is expected to grow from $61 billion (Dh224bn) to $560bn by 2027, according to Fortune Business Insights. 
"In line with the vision of the UAE and it's leaders we realised the importance of adopting technology innovations in key sectors," His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, chairman of HBK Department of Projects said. "HBKiCare is a universal remote healthcare solution made easy that is comprehensive, flexible and secure."

The HBKiCare platform is geared toward two types of patients: those that have recovered from Covid-19 by monitoring ECG, temperature, pulse, blood oxygen and pressure. The elderly care version also includes fall detection, activities of daily living and location monitoring, which is supported by voice-activated interaction using Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Baidu.

“Remote patient monitoring and home health care are critical imperatives during this time of the global health crisis and we are proud to contribute our innovative technology to this urgently needed solution," Ray Stata, co-founder and chairman of Sure Universal said.

Mr Stata is also the co-founder and chairman of Analog Devices, a Nasdaq-listed semiconductor company.

Department of Projects was founded by Sheikh Hamad to invest and enter into joint venture agreements for projects that support sustainability and job creation in the UAE.