Elon Musk’s Neuralink recently announced that it is launching its first clinical trial in the Middle East at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
In partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health, the UAE-PRIME clinical trial aims to explore how individuals with motor and speech impairment can use thought to control devices and communicate.
“This is an important step towards making our groundbreaking technology available worldwide to transform the lives of millions affected by debilitating neurological conditions,” said Neuralink in a post on social media platform X.
Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk that has built an implantable, brain-computer interface (BCI) capable of translating thought into action. Launched in 2016, the company says its neural device allows people with paraplegia to regain movement and restore vision to those born blind.
In January 2024, Neuralink implanted its device in a person for the first time. Currently, there are three people with the device.
Commenting on the launch, Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), stated that the launch of Neuralink’s UAE-PRIME clinical trial in Abu Dhabi, the first international site outside North America, marks a powerful moment for the future of health.
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“In collaboration with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, we are proud to enable the safe and responsible advancement of brain-computer interface technology, offering renewed hope to individuals living with severe neurological conditions,” he stated.
He added that this partnership exemplifies “Abu Dhabi’s commitment to innovation in health and life sciences – driving the acceleration of breakthrough technologies that are purposefully tested, ethically governed, and made accessible to patients around the world.”
