AI-powered organ regeneration platform company Rokit Healthcare said Thursday that it is entering the Middle Eastern digital healthcare market through a technology licensing and access agreement signed with Saudi Arabian healthcare company LifeHope.
The deal goes beyond a simple technology supply agreement, enabling Rokit Healthcare to establish a recurring revenue model in the AI-based chronic disease prediction and management platform market, the company said.
The partnership is structured around LifeHope and Albayat Medical, owner of Albayat Medical Tower in Saudi Arabia. Through its connections with hospital networks and insurance reimbursement systems within the Saudi HEALTH SOCIETY framework, LifeHope will support the integration and commercialization of Rokit Healthcare’s prediction platform in the local healthcare market.
Under the agreement, Rokit Healthcare will provide its chronic kidney disease (CKD) prediction AI algorithm by integrating it into LifeHope’s “Longevity Platform.” The contract is structured as a non-exclusive, non-transferable license limited to Saudi Arabia. Rokit Healthcare will receive royalties equivalent to 20 percent of net sales generated through the platform.
The company will supply the algorithm in object code, excluding core technologies such as source code, datasets and AI architecture from the agreement. This structure allows Rokit Healthcare to protect its intellectual property while repeatedly expanding the same platform business model through global partners.
Saudi Arabia is considered a high-potential market for CKD prediction and screening services because of the high prevalence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. The prevalence of CKD in the country is estimated at 4.76 percent, representing about 1.2 million to 1.7 million patients.
Including high-risk groups -- such as the country’s estimated 5.34 million adult diabetes patients, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and 5.1 million adults with hypertension, based on World Health Organization (WHO) data -- the potential addressable market is estimated at roughly six million to 10 million people, even after accounting for overlap.
The company said testing prices in the Middle East’s premium healthcare market could reach around $100 per test, considering the nature of hospital-based predictive screening services. However, the pace of market formation and actual revenue generation may vary depending on factors such as hospital adoption, insurance reimbursement, local regulatory approvals, testing demand and the commercial capabilities of local partners.
Saudi Arabia is also expected to serve as a strategic hub for expansion across the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Following this agreement, Rokit Healthcare plans to expand into other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait.
Given the population size and healthcare demand across the GCC region, the market opportunity for the same AI prediction platform model could grow several times larger than the Saudi market alone, according to Rokit Healthcare.
A LifeHope official said, “Kidney disease is a serious issue in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, and the government is strongly supporting prevention and diagnostic initiatives. A technology capable of predicting disease risks five years in advance is something entirely new.”
Kim Ji-hye
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