Saudi consumers outpace global peers on AI and digital health use
A survey of 1,002 Saudis finds 69% use AI for health information and 88% would share wearable data with clinicians, both above global averages.
Saudi consumers are picking up AI and digital health tools faster than their counterparts in the other markets covered by a ten-country survey, with usage on several measures running well ahead of global averages.
The figures come from a study presented at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. It polled 1,002 people in the kingdom as part of a wider sample of about 7,700 consumers across ten countries, and connects the uptake to a young, connected population and to the modernization of the country's health system.
AI as a first stop for health questions
Some 69% of Saudi respondents turn to AI tools for health information, the highest share among the countries surveyed. Digital tracking is close to universal by comparison with elsewhere: 78% monitor their health through apps and devices, against a global average of 57%.
Tracking that turns into changed behaviour
Asked what AI-generated insights had altered, 61% said they had adjusted their physical activity, 58% their diet and 48% their sleep habits. About 45% said AI-powered research had influenced a decision to seek professional medical advice. And 86% said they had requested or considered a clinical action — a test, a treatment or a prescription — on the strength of AI-generated information.
The country's mature digital health landscape offers a chance to connect innovation with trusted clinical care, said Ahmad Ahmad, who leads government and infrastructure work for EY in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ahmad said digital health literacy, responsible handling of health data and governance of AI can improve the patient experience, clinical outcomes and the efficiency of care.
Willingness to hand over the data
Most Saudi respondents are prepared to let providers see what their devices record: 88% said they would share wearable and health app data. Nearly 46% say clinicians already make active use of it, against a global average of 30%. Three-quarters — 75% — are comfortable with AI across the whole patient journey, from booking an appointment to receiving treatment recommendations.
Trust underpins much of that. 89% of Saudi respondents trust healthcare professionals, and they tend to see AI as a supplement to clinical knowledge rather than a substitute for it.
Technology in the kingdom has shifted from passive tracking to an active wellness partner, said Fadi Smeirat, who leads healthcare and life sciences consulting for EY in the region.
Smeirat said the Saudi appetite for AI and for sharing health data holds lessons for markets elsewhere.
That combination is the unusual part. Plenty of countries show strong interest in AI health tools but stall on privacy concerns or on suspicion of machine-generated advice. In Saudi Arabia the friction appears to sit in governance and clinical workflow rather than in consumer demand, which is why the study describes the market as moving toward collaborative, predictive and personalized care. The near-term test is narrower: whether clinician use of wearable data can climb from the 46% reported toward the 88% of consumers now offering it.
