Dr. Qiang “Al” Zhang is one of the co-founders and Chairman & Co-CEO of Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare. Dr. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, U.S. With over two decades of experience in medical imaging, he has been deeply committed to technology innovation, product development, and the industrialization of advanced imaging solutions. Dr. Zhang has a strong track record of leading large-scale, cross-functional, and international teams to deliver impactful and measurable results.

1.Give us an overview of your organisation. What are your key activities and strategic focus within the healthcare sector, particularly across the GCC and MENA region?

United Imaging is a global innovator in advanced medical imaging technologies and intelligent healthcare solutions, with native AI embedded across our portfolio to deliver real clinical impact at scale.Since our establishment in 2011, we have successfully launched more than 100 groundbreaking products and today serve over 15,700 customers in more than 90 countries worldwide. Guided by our mission, “To Bring Equal Healthcare for All,” we are committed to creating long-term value for our customers and improving global access to high-end medical equipment and services through close collaboration with healthcare partners. For us, the GCC and MENA region has been among the earliest and most important markets in our global journey and remains a key strategic priority where we continue to build a strong, localized ecosystem to meet regional needs. After establishing our regional headquarters in Dubai in 2019, we launched a regional warehouse in 2020, laying a solid foundation for localized operations, logistics, and service capabilities. Firmly rooted in the region, we have built strong collaborations with local partners and developed a comprehensive service engineer team that delivers fast, reliable support. On our journey, our commitment to bringing equal healthcare for all is not just a slogan; it is a daily mission. We understand local healthcare challenges and consistently deliver solutions, ranging from direct care to education. We focus on advancing women’s healthcare and take pride in participating in this noble cause. We have brought AI-enabled mammography systems to Libya and Türkiye, helping local women benefit from medical innovations while supporting efforts to raise awareness of breast cancer. Education and training are central to building sustainable healthcare capacity, and we continue to invest in their long-term development across the region. For example, in Morocco, through our collaboration with Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mohammed VI in Marrakech, we are honored to support the training of young African healthcare residents, providing not only practical experience but also academic guidance. We are building a global research collaboration ecosystem centered on disease-driven innovation, supported by big data and native AI. This work enables personalized research and real-world clinical validation across diverse healthcare environments. Examples include our collaboration with UC Davis in the U.S., King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan, Sunway Medical Center in Malaysia, Astana Medical University in Kazakhstan, and others, where clinical features are validated under various local scenarios.

2. What emerging trends and critical challenges do you believe are most significantly influencing the industry's trajectory in this region?

What we are seeing in the GCC and MENA region reflects global trends and challenges shaping the healthcare industry. The major trend is the rapid acceleration of medical AI. The region is investing heavily in smart hospitals, health platforms, and AI-enabled diagnostics to improve efficiency and quality of care. At the same time, rising healthcare demand, driven by population growth, and a growing burden of chronic diseases, is putting pressure on the healthcare sector. At United Imaging, our innovation is born with AI from the very beginning. This means AI is designed into every system from the start, lowering clinical thresholds and making advanced capabilities accessible across care settings. For example, our ultrasound family, built on the new uEDGETEC™ intelligent ultrasound platform, provides comprehensive solutions and focuses on streamlined workflows and intelligent assistance, automating many routine steps—from transducer recognition and image acquisition to measurement and reporting. This helps standardize examinations and significantly reduce the manual workload for sonographers, while supporting both precision and efficiency in daily clinical practice. Through years of dedication, we support connected health management that extends care beyond clinical settings and into daily life, responding to the growing trend of chronic disease management in this region. Our medical-grade smart wearables — including the uOrigin Hearing Aid, ECG(Electrocardiogram) and continuous glucose monitoring systems — empower personalized, full-life-cycle health management, helping patients manage their conditions effectively while delivering tangible value across the healthcare ecosystem. Resource shortages and inequities remain a challenge in the region, particularly in rural areas. That’s where we step in, passionate about changing the status quo and making advanced healthcare accessible and affordable. Our All-In-One radiotherapy solution is clear evidence of this, fully integrating the entire treatment process - from CT simulation to the first treatment fraction, only possible with the help of AI. With high-definition diagnostic-level imaging guidance and a fully intelligent adaptive workflow, it combines efficiency, precision, and personalization in one system, bringing advanced radiotherapy to more patients, even in resource-constrained settings. We are lowering the threshold to advanced care through innovative, scalable solutions. For example, we introduced the first mobile digital PET/CT in Iraq, improving access to advanced diagnostics for local communities. In Malawi, our AI-powered DR systems have been installed in 21 facilities nationwide, supporting broader access to essential imaging services. We translate emerging healthcare trends into practical solutions, applying AI and intelligent solutions to improve patient care, strengthen healthcare systems, and expand access to high-quality care across the GCC and MENA region.

3. What is your strategic outlook for the healthcare sector over the next decade? How do you anticipate the industry will evolve?

Medical AI will play a central role in shaping the future of healthcare. It will increasingly support earlier diagnosis, more accurate clinical decision-making, and more efficient workflows. At the same time, personalized healthcare will move from aspiration to standard practice as AI connects progress across imaging, molecular insight, and therapy, enabling care pathways designed around the individual from hospital to home. Sustainability is emerging as another key priority. Healthcare systems are placing greater emphasis on value-based care, more efficient use of resources, and environmental responsibility. What United Imaging is building being an intelligent ecosystem that connects every stage of care, covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, and is firmly rooted in local healthcare needs. Our AI innovations can flexibly adapt to different scenarios and patient needs. For example, at Cintocare Hospital in South Africa, our next-generation AI-powered advanced visualization solution, helps clinicians meet high standards for image quality, integrates with hospital systems, and supports collaborative workflows, improving efficiency and physician coordination. In Ethiopia, the Axon Stroke and Spine Center, the country’s first dedicated stroke center, has established a comprehensive stroke care pathway, supported by our advanced imaging technology, enabling timely diagnosis and treatment. Beyond hospital walls, we are extending care into everyday life. Last year, we introduced our medical-grade hearing aid at Arab Health, attracting strong interest and reinforcing our confidence in delivering locally relevant solutions. Through these approaches, we are harnessing the power of AI to advance personalized, sustainable, and high-quality healthcare, turning emerging trends into real impact and bringing tangible benefits to patients.

4. What role does innovation play in your organisation's strategic framework? Please elaborate on your R&D initiatives and share insights into any significant projects currently in development or recently launched.

At United Imaging, innovation forms our core and drives the unique value we deliver worldwide. Our technology reflects a high level of vertical integration; this integrated approach reduces complexity and reliance on third-party suppliers, strengthens control over quality and internal costs, and ultimately enables more effective time-to-market management and long-term value creation for customers. Maximizing the synergies of United Imaging Group, R&D is the engine of our growth and long-term competitiveness. At United Imaging, people are central to innovation: 40% of our employees are dedicated to R&D. We have built a comprehensive global R&D network, including our North America Research Center in Houston, as well as major bases in China, serving as our solid foundation for innovation. In close collaboration with researchers and clinical experts, our global research community addresses both advanced research needs and high-burden diseases across healthcare systems with varying levels of resources. For example, with Dharmais Cancer Hospital in Indonesia, we support research on breast cancer through the AI-aided system. The UIH FFDM AI application demonstrates significant potential as a radiologist aid, acting as a double-reading tool that highlights suspicious regions and provides accurate lesion measurements within a single streamlined report, enhancing diagnostic efficiency, and contributing to improved patient outcomes. Through this community, we consistently align clinical needs with our R&D roadmap, shorten the bench-to-bed pathway, and bring benefits to patients. To date, our collaborations span across the globe. Last year, we engaged with more than 40 new sites across 25 more countries, supporting numerous active studies. We look forward to engaging with more experts worldwide, delivering greater clinical benefits to patients and advancing healthcare outcomes.

5. How is your organisation integrating sustainability principles into your healthcare operations? If any, what specific initiatives have you implemented to minimise environmental impact and advance sustainable healthcare practices?

Sustainability is a core priority at United Imaging and a responsibility we actively integrate into how we operate and grow. In 2024, we achieved an "A" rating in the MSCI ESG evaluation and ranked in the top 15% of companies assessed by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), reflecting our consistent performance in ESG integration. We consistently embed sustainability into every stage of our work, translating green principles from ideas into actions. Our "Green Factory" initiatives include process cooling water system upgrades and ground source heat pump renovations, delivering substantial annual energy savings of over 130,000 kWh and reducing carbon emissions by more than 900 tons - the equivalent of planting over 50,000 trees. Energy efficiency is built into our innovations, making healthcare more sustainable. For example, our uMR 600, the industry’s first MRI featuring SiC GPA, achieves significant energy and carbon-emission reductions. The SiC GPA significantly reduces MRI energy consumption by over 50% without compromising image quality. In CT, scanners using uECO mode reduce annual energy consumption by 30.6%. In Molecular Imaging, we achieve over 90% product recycling by reintegrating functional and recyclable components into the supply chain. In addition, our green product chain extends from R&D to clinical application. We explore eco-friendly materials to reduce waste and pollution, use environmentally friendly packaging, and optimize transportation methods to lower emissions. At the same time, digitally enhanced software increases product efficiency and optimizes energy consumption. With a deep understanding of local healthcare needs, we proactively take on social responsibility to create local benefits in a sustainable way. We witness the advancement of women’s healthcare and are proud to be part of this vital effort. In Morocco, Dr. Faouzi Habib of Clinique Tour Hassan has conducted annual voluntary early breast cancer screenings for years, benefiting numerous local women, with our intelligent MRI supporting their work. As mentioned, education and training are central to building sustainable healthcare capacity, and we put this into practice. We have actively fostered knowledge exchange by connecting global radiology and nuclear medicine experts with local clinicians, building regional capacity through hands-on workshops, clinical mentorship, and tailored training curricula across the globe. For example, last year we supported the 9th Oriental Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (OCNM), which brought together more than 40 experts from France, Mexico, Jordan, Thailand, and beyond, fostering insight exchange and strengthening collaboration in the field. In support of the China–Africa Hospital Cooperation Alliance, we have launched practical training programs in digital imaging, interventional radiology, and oncology. We invited physicians from Ethiopia and other African countries to China for intensive, on-site training, helping them strengthen diagnostic and treatment skills and apply this expertise in their local hospitals, supporting the nurturing of medical talent.

6.What innovations or solutions is your organisation planning to present at WHX Dubai 2026? Are there any particular offerings you are especially excited to showcase and experience yourself?

At WHX Dubai 2026, we are excited to showcase a full array of technologies and solutions, advancing native AI and medical-grade smart wearables that form our intelligent health ecosystem, covering the full continuum of "Prevention – Diagnosis – Treatment – Rehabilitation" and demonstrating our commitment to bringing equal healthcare for all this year, we’re unveiling the uSONIQUE ultrasound family in the Middle East for the very first time. As mentioned, the uSONIQUE ultrasound family is built on the new uEDGETEC™ intelligent ultrasound platform, delivering comprehensive solutions across a wide range of clinical scenarios and supporting both precision and efficiency in everyday practice. With powerful quantitative tools, an ergonomic design, and an intuitive interface, it is designed to streamline workflows and enhance clinical confidence. In MRI, we will highlight uMR Astra and uMR Ultra. The uMR Astra is a high-end 3T MRI with an advanced RF architecture. It features a comprehensive set of seven SuperFlex coils, with the largest having 48 channels, marking the first of its kind in the industry. This enables a thoracic–abdominal scan in a single session, while conventional coils need to be combined. A breakthrough in decoupling technology sets a new peak in coil density. The SuperFlex Small Coil-24 reaches 229 elements/m² and also enables the world’s first wearable coils. These coils improve patient comfort, fit various body shapes, and deliver higher SNR with better image uniformity. The upgraded RF chain provides precise control of all coils and elements. It supports data acquisition with up to 144 channels, forming a strong base for AI reconstruction and high-quality, efficient imaging. Comprehensive AI integration simplifies workflow and supports various clinical scenarios, assisting users throughout daily work. The uMR Ultra is an advanced 3T MRI system that takes MRI from photography to videography. It integrates high-end system specifications, combining hardware and software designed to address the traditional challenges of capturing movement in MRI and to broaden the range of potential clinical applications. In a real clinical case of intestinal disease, LIVE Imaging captured peristalsis in motion, revealing weakened movement in the left colon and compensatory motion in the proximal colon, enabling clinicians to identify inflammatory edema and stenosis that had been missed by standard imaging and even exploratory surgery.In CT, we will introduce the uCT SiriuX, a high-resolution dual‑source dual-wide detector CT system under development. The system features a proprietary twin‑ring gantry that houses dual‑wide coverage (16 cm) Ultrix detectors, two liquid‑metal bearing X‑ray tubes, a reconstructed slice width of 0.17 mm, and achieves rotation speeds up to 0.239 sec with a native temporal resolution up to 63 ms. It is designed for ultra-high-resolution 4D whole‑heart dynamic imaging, synchronized whole‑organ dynamic imaging, and supports 47cm field-of-view spectral imaging. For example, in aortic valve assessment, it enables intuitive 3D dynamic visualization prior to TAVR procedures and minimizes motion and metal artifacts for improved visualization of bioprosthetic valves, supporting early detection of post-TAVR complications. For coronary imaging, it has the potential to deliver new functional biomarkers—such as coronary strain and stress—to support prediction of plaque vulnerability.In molecular imaging, we will highlight the uMI Panvivo PET/CT family. uMI Panvivo ES/EX, with Axial Field of View (AFOV) of 53 cm and 71 cm, respectively, can be extended from uMI Panvivo based on its modular detector and air-cooling design, delivering robust performance while boosting the clinical and research capability, especially in imaging of brain-heart connection, brain-gut axis, Yittrium 90 treatment assessment and pediatric patients. The full integration of AI makes it a powerful platform to reach optimal efficiency and improved diagnostic confidence. Most importantly, the on-site upgrade, performed within the same room, ensures a rapid and seamless transition to secure the investment in the future.We will also showcase uRT-linac 506c, our next-generation AI-powered radiotherapy system. By integrating a diagnostic CT scanner directly into the linear accelerator, it enables the direct use of high-definition CT imaging data for radiation therapy planning and guidance. Our AI-driven online adaptive therapy is driving a fundamental upgrade of the radiotherapy paradigm. For example, the application of online ART makes a difference in cervical cancer -- the online ART plan reduces unnecessary irradiation to the bladder, improves target dose conformality and reduces the dose of spinal cord. The intelligent “All in One” workflow streamlines the treatment process, cutting the duration from days to minutes and improving care for emergency patients.We will also spotlight the uAngio AVIVA. It will be showcased alongside a preview of Noise Free imaging technology, which rethinks the entire imaging chain to maintain edge detail, suppress noise, and improve image quality while reducing radiation dose. Notably, for real-world patients, Noise Free technology achieved a 48–62% reduction in cumulative dose for coronary angiography and simple PCI, and a 60–74% reduction in complex CTO procedures, all while maintaining diagnostic image quality; for clinical teams, dedicated staff experienced an overall radiation exposure drop of 71.8%.Beyond imaging, we will be launching our line of medical-grade smart wearables, including the uOrigin Hearing Aid and uCGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring). Powered by native AI, these innovations enable personalized, full life-cycle health management, elevating personal health management from consumer-grade devices to professional medical standards, while delivering shared value to all stakeholders across our ecosystem. Intelligence runs through the veins of our innovation and solutions, delivering clinically grounded intelligence that evolves with clinical practice and creates sustained value across care pathways. Omnispace is our next-generation AI-powered advanced visualization solution. Built on AI and advanced visualization technologies, it provides anatomy-based analysis, user-centered automation, and comprehensive clinical applications within a unified workspace. It features an expanded cardiology portfolio with automated MR coronary vessel analysis for non-invasive CAD evaluation; uVivometry technology for AI-based whole-body PET lesion detection and organ segmentation to support automated tumor quantification; the AD Centiloid Score for standardized assessment of Alzheimer’s disease progression and severity; as well as simplified one-click workflows for both routine and complex imaging data, improving efficiency and clinical throughput. United Imaging Intelligence (UII), our digital healthcare subsidiary, will showcase its latest AI advancements. Our clinical AI platform seamlessly integrates 60+ AI-assisted applications across the entire clinical workflow—from intelligent image interpretation and quantitative diagnosis to structured reporting. The uAI Clinical Portal (uCP) streamlines the entire clinical workflow, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, improving efficiency and accuracy at every step, while the uAI Quality Control Portal (uQP) ensures consistent, high-quality imaging and reporting. Complementing these, the uAI Research Portal (uRP), a collaborative cloud-based platform for AI development and validation, streamlines the entire development workflow, transforming a technically demanding process into an immersive learning experience. In addition, the uMetaGenesis, a uAI Agent for Equipment Management, functions as the hospital’s “watchful pulse," delivering real-time insights to enable proactive maintenance and reduce unplanned scanner downtime. We warmly invite all attendees to visit our booth and experience firsthand how United Imaging continues to push boundaries, driven by innovation and solutions, powered by AI, and guided by our mission to bring equal healthcare for all.
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