The first-ever product to be jointly marketed from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel will be in healthcare technology.

HBKiCare is being described as a “universal remote healthcare IoT platform” and home care kit, set to be released by Dubai’s Hamad Bin Khalifa Department of Projects (HBK DOP) and the Ramat Gan-headquarted healthcare IoT software developer, Sure Universal. According to a company statement, the solution enables “continuous patient monitoring with maximum flexibility and affordability,” recording measurements such as electrocardiogram (ECG), temperature, pulse, and blood oxygen and pressure measurements. 

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Citing a study by Frost & Sullivan, both companies clarified that the solution is aimed at patients over the age of 65, after this year’s COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 64% increase in telehealth demand. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global telehealth market is expected to surge from $61 billion today to $560 billion by 2027.

In addition to its main functions, HBKiCare also incorporates specific solutions for eldery care at home, such as personal location monitoring, fall detection, and activities of daily living (ADLs). The product can be used with the voice-activated devices Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, and Baidu’s voice assistant.  

ON THE RECORD

HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of HBK DoP stated: “In line with the vision of the UAE and its leaders, we realised the importance of adopting technology innovations in key sectors such as health… duly supported by our own blockchain technology platforms under HBK GoChain that specialises in the supply chain, e-government, Central Bank Digital Currencies, payments and financial services. 

“HBKiCare is a universal remote healthcare solution made easy that is comprehensive, flexible and secure.”

Co-founder and chairman of Sure Universal, Ray Stata added: “We are honoured to be part of this historic partnership and the product launch. 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.”