Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurological disorders, are emerging as a major concern in public health in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The number of cases has increased over the years, but research and development has not matched the pace of demographic and healthcare shifts. Population surveillance is limited in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with weak hospital-academia links, inadequate funding of research, deficits in subspecialist training, a paucity of research output, weak biobanking infrastructure and a young innovation ecosystem. This policy perspective introduces a cross-cutting policy approach to modify the existing scattered infrastructure into a functioning neurodegeneration research and innovation ecosystem. This can be accomplished via a combination of interdisciplinary training and workforce development, enhanced research strength, strengthened clinician–academic partnerships, larger clinical databases and biobanks, increased research funding, faster translation of biotech developments, and digital-health innovation. Incubation centres and public-private partnerships are crucial for achieving these objectives. GCC Health Council’s coordination throughout the region can align research priorities, allow studies in multiple countries, share data and bolster engagement with neurodegeneration initiatives at an international level. The proposed framework positions research institutes, universities, hospitals, industry and government as interconnected components of a translational ecosystem rather than isolated entities. This approach can help the four GCC countries convert existing healthcare investments and expanding scientific capacity into locally relevant discoveries and strengthen the region’s contribution to global neurodegeneration research.