Abu Dhabi Launches Smart Ambulances and Control Room to Revolutionize Emergency Care

A new fleet of ambulances in Abu Dhabi could signal a transformation of health care for the emirate's patients. The emirate has introduced 18 smart ambulances, which authorities in Abu Dhabi believe will play a crucial role in saving lives. A control room at the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi will be able to direct ambulances to the nearest hospital best-equipped to deal with each emergency, rather than simply hoping medics can help wherever the patient is taken.

Live data is transmitted between the ambulances and the control room, with key information such as vital signs. The medical team can learn what is happening to patients while they are still on the road and prepare for their arrival. “Before, the ambulance would just take the patient and go to a hospital,” said Dr Salama Al Tamimi, executive director of emergency preparedness and response at the Department of Health. “They don’t know if the hospital is ready, or if they have the speciality or not.”

Previously, she said an ambulance could arrive to find the required specialist was unavailable, the hospital did not offer the service needed, or its emergency department was full. “That doesn’t happen any more,” Dr Al Tamimi said. “The ambulance will go exactly to where it should go. The hospital will be pre-notified [and] teams will be ready to receive them.”

The control centre was established in December 2024, with the aim of bringing various parts of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system together in one room. Representatives from the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, health care groups and ambulance providers work from the centre, each with access to information relevant to their role. Large screens provide a live picture of ambulance movements across the emirate, while officials can monitor hospital services and other pressures across the system.

The centre’s oversight includes transfers between hospitals, blood supplies, poisoning and infectious disease cases, organ donation, hospital activity and weather alerts. Dr Al Tamimi said the system can even identify when a piece of hospital equipment needed for a patient’s care is temporarily unavailable. She gave the example of a hospital that would normally have been able to receive a particular patient but whose CAT scanner was out of service that day.

The 18 new ambulances are designed for groups of patients whose needs can be particularly difficult to manage in conventional emergency vehicles. The critical-care vehicles provide additional space and equipment for seriously ill adults and children, including major trauma cases, and can transport patients receiving Ecmo. A second category of ambulances has been designed for pregnant women and newborns, equipped to support maternity and neonatal emergencies. A third feature tackles safely transporting people with severe obesity using new bariatric vehicles.

Maj Gen Salem Abdullah bin Barak Al Dhaheri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, said the move represents more than the addition of new ambulances, reflecting a shift in how emergency response is viewed. Dr Al Tamimi also highlighted that door-to-balloon time for Stemi heart attack patients has fallen from about 97 minutes to about 49 minutes, leading to improved survival rates and financial benefits for the healthcare system.