How innovation, AI, and pharmacy converged at one of the world’s most forward-thinking healthcare events

The Ministry of Health’s showpiece: an interactive AI head representing the future of healthcare — uncannily similar to PharmBot AI’s own prototype.

Shaping the Future of Healthcare — and Pharmacy’s Place Within It

The Global Health Exhibition (GHE), held in Riyadh from 27–30 October 2025, brought together global leaders, innovators, and policymakers to showcase how technology is reshaping the healthcare ecosystem.

For me — representing PharmBot AI and AIVAe, our intelligent assistant built by pharmacists for pharmacists — this was more than an exhibition. It was a live demonstration of how AI is transforming patient care, clinical decision-making, and service delivery across every layer of healthcare.

A Symbol of Transformation

The Ministry of Health’s main showpiece was impossible to miss — a massive illuminated green AI head that spoke about the future of healthcare in Saudi Arabia. The installation symbolised intelligence, interconnected systems, and the merging of human and artificial insight.

By coincidence, it bore a striking resemblance to the PharmBot AI prototype robot, which similarly articulates the future of AI and pharmacy practice. Standing before it, I was reminded of our mission — to integrate advanced AI into the heart of pharmacy, empowering professionals to deliver safer, faster, and smarter care.

Building Bridges: Key Connections and Conversations

One of the most valuable aspects of GHE 2025 was the opportunity to engage directly with decision-makers and investors shaping healthcare innovation across the region. I made meaningful connections with:

  • Venture Capital firms actively seeking digital health opportunities aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
  • The Ministry of Health, where discussions centred on AI integration and pharmacy digitisation.
  • The Saudi Pharmaceutical Society, exploring collaboration opportunities to support the professional development of pharmacists through AI-powered tools.

These conversations will help shape AIVAe’s roadmap for regional adaptation — including Arabic language integration, alignment with local regulations, and tailored pharmacy service workflows.

Key Themes and Learnings

1. AI is shifting from experimentation to implementation.
Across the exhibition, digital health solutions are moving from pilot phases to large-scale deployment — particularly in diagnostics, patient engagement, and operations. The same transformation is now poised for pharmacy.

2. Pharmacy innovation remains underrepresented.
While many exhibitors focused on hospital and clinical AI, few addressed the pharmacist’s workflow directly. This reinforces our belief that PharmBot AI fills a critical gap — providing a trusted assistant for dispensing, verification, and clinical service delivery.

3. Collaboration is the new competitive advantage.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda is driving rapid healthcare transformation, and partnerships with regulators, academic institutions, and innovators will be essential for sustainable integration.

Looking Forward: PharmBot AI’s Strategic Direction

The exhibition reaffirmed that the Middle East is becoming a global hub for health innovation, underpinned by bold national strategies and an openness to AI adoption.

For PharmBot AI, the next steps are clear:

  • Strengthen partnerships initiated at GHE to explore pilot projects and regulatory pathways.
  • Localise AIVAe for regional pharmacy workflows and languages.
  • Continue demonstrating that AI can augment, not replace, the pharmacist — turning information into intelligence, and complexity into clarity.

Final Reflections

Walking through the exhibition halls, surrounded by conversations about data, automation, and patient experience, it was clear that the future of healthcare is now.

And just as the Ministry’s AI installation symbolised a new era of intelligent care, PharmBot AI stands ready to ensure pharmacy plays its full role in that transformation — blending human expertise with artificial intelligence to create smarter, safer, and more connected healthcare for all.