Strengthening health research in the United Arab Emirates: addressing barriers, leveraging innovation, and building a sustainable research ecosystem

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has prioritised health research, innovation, and digital transformation as part of its national agenda. Despite progress in clinical infrastructure, regulatory reform, and innovation capacity, structural barriers hinder the development of sustainable research ecosystem. This review synthesises evidence on challenges and opportunities for strengthening health research in the UAE. It applies health and research ecosystem frameworks, defining research capacity through governance, financing, infrastructure, workforce, data systems, and innovation, to structure findings and develop a conceptual model linking barriers, enablers, and outcomes. A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and grey literature (2010–2025) was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and UAE/international health sources. Eligible documents addressed health research policy, infrastructure, innovation, or capacity. Data were thematically analysed across domains, with independent coding by two reviewers. Evidence from 43 sources highlights regulatory fragmentation, limited disease registries, insufficient protected research time, variable funding, and gaps in data integration, workforce capacity, and ethical oversight, despite strong government investment and advanced clinical infrastructure. Recommendations include harmonised governance, strengthened national data systems, and aligned incentives, and workforce development to support a resilient and competitive health research ecosystem.