AUTHOR=El-Kassas Mohamed , Khalifa Rofida , Medhat Mohammed A. , Yilmaz Yusuf , Tumi Ali , Labidi Asma , Almattooq Maen , Sanai Faisal M. , Elbadry Mohamed , Mohammed Mohammed Omer , Mahdy Mohamed Abdelhakim , Abdeen Nermeen , Radwan Hend , Abdelhamed Walaa , Almaghrabi Majed , Fared Mai , Elzouki Abdel-Naser , Alswat Khalid A. , AlNaamani Khalid M. ,  the Steatotic Liver Disease Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA) Collaborators , El Khalik Heba Shafeak Abd , Abdalhussain Summer Saad , Abdelghani Yasser , Abdelmalek Mohamed Omar , Abdo Aya Milod , Abdulhussein Ali Adil , Abdulla Maheeba , Abdulla Aras Aziz , Program Hepatology Subspecialty , Abdulqader Harem Sattar , Elkhier Hossameldin Fathy Abou , AbuHelal Ayman Mohammed , Abumallouh Imad Mohammad , Adali Gupse , Adali Abdalaziz Omar , Ahmed Ahmed Hatim Moahmed , Ahmed Hasnaa Mohammed , Ahmed YASIR Khudhair , Hussien Mohammed Hussien Ahmed , Akarca Halit Tugrul , Akca Mehmet , Akdogan Remzi A. , Kayhan Meral Akdogan , Akyildiz Murat , Akyon Seyma Handan , Al Alawi Said , Al Balushi Kawkab Salim , Al Balushi Nooreen Yousuf , Al Balushi Yousuf Said Mahmood , Al Farsi Badriya S , Al Harthy Fat’hiya Mohammed , Al Hashmi Al Warith , Al Jabri Salah , Al Mandhari Maimouna N , AL Masri Nasser M , Al Noumani Jawahar H , Al Qarshoubi Issa Saif , Endoscopy Advanced , Centre Research , Shuaili Halima Hamed , Sinani Siham , Swayah Motasam Belah , Aladawi Abdulnasser , Alali Ali , Alalwan Abduljaleel , AL-Bahlani AL-Qasim , Albayrak Fatih , Aldaqrum Mustafa M. , K Al-Darmaki Ahmed , AlDhahab Hisham Abdullah , Aldosari Saad , Al-Dury Samer , Algeblawi Ahmed Abdurrahman , Alghamdi Abdullah Saeed , Alghamdi Mohammed Y , AlHarthy Nadya Abdullah , Alhusayni Omar A , Ali Randa S , Ali Wesam Saif , Aljawad Mohammed , Alkalbani Abdullah Humaid , Alkhalidi Nawal Mehdi , Almalki Fahd , Almatrafi Mohammad Jameel , AL-Naamani Zakariya , Alotaibi Faisal Mania , Alqartoobi Hassan Abdullah , Alrawi Farooq Fouad , Alriyami Salim Mohammed , Alsabban Abdulmalik M , Alsari Marwan T A , Alsenbesy Mohamed A , Alsiyabi Omar , Alsuleimani Abdulatif , Altamimi Jamal Abdulnasser , Altayib Loai A , Alzanbagi Adnan , Arı Derya , Aslan İpek Bilge , Assar Ahmed Mohamed , Asser Mohamed L. , Atasoy Halil , Attia Dina , Medicine Endemic , Aydin Gokhan , Furkan Aydın Rifat , Ayoub Mohammed Diaaldin , Baban Soran , Balaban Yasemin Hatice , Basaranoglu Metin , Basulayman Dalia , Omran Reem Abdulhay Ben , Berhili Camélia , Bichu Ruchir Kumar , Biricik Mehmet , Rıza Çalışkan Ali , Cankurtaran Rasim E. , Cetin Deha Duran , Çiçek Sedat , Colak Hatice , Cosar Arif Mansur , Debzi Nabil , Demiröz Hakan , Dertsiz Berkay , Desokey Elham Salah , Dursun Hakan , Raziky Maissa E El , Elbadawy Reda Mohamed , El-Domiaty Nada , Elfert Asem , Elhaddad Ahmed Belgasem , Elhassi Ahmed F , Mostafa El-Karaksy Hanaa , Elmsellati Mumajed Lutfi , Elnadry Mohamed Hassan , Diseases Infectious , Elrashdy Fatma , Elsahhar Medhat , El-Shabrawi Mortada H. F. , Elshemy Eman E. , Elsherif Iman , Elwazzan Doaa , Elzewiei Ghada Younes , Ergenç Ilkay , Erkut Murat , Eruzun Hasan , Ezz-Eldin Mohammed , Faisal Mohanad , Fares Eman M. , Fidan Sami , Fissah Mahrez , Gabr Mostafa Taha , Galal Ghada M , Garad Saleh A. , Gehani Prof A. A. , Gouda Ahmed , Gouiaa Donia , Gül Gamze , Taner Gülşen Murat , Gurbuz Burcu , Hamad Khaled Mohd , Hammami Aya , Harı Mustafa , Harput Zekiye Nur , Hassan Dalia , Hassan Norhan Ali , Hassan Marwa Khalaf , Hela Gdoura , Helmy Amal A , Hemdan Sayed Mohamed , İlhan Abdullah , Ismail Mona , Yunus İyiyapıcı Kemal , Jasem Amar , Kamath Bola Rajendra , Kazdal Saibe Merve , Keklikkiran Caglayan , Kenger Emre Batuhan , Keskin Onur , Ketenci Yusuf Bünyamin , Khalaf Nahla Ahmed , Khan Mohammed Adnan , Kıvrakoğlu Fatih , Kördüğüm Ayşenur , Köseoğlu Hüseyin , Mady Norhan Osama , Mahdy Reem Ezzat , Makhlouf Nahed A , Matar Khaled , Matar Rasha , Endoscopy Advanced , Centre Research , Mawardi Mohammad , Melez Sahide N. I. , Menessy Aymen Nassem , Unit Gastroenterology , Meral Koç Bilge , Misellati Adnan , Mohamad Taha Ahmad , Program Hepatology Subspecialty , Mohamed Abrar , Mohammad Omed Oubed , Mohammed Malavan H. , Morsy Khairy Hammam , Mossa Hussein M , Moustafa Ehab F , Mustapha Benazzouz , Nagdy Hanaa Mahmoud , Naguib Youssef Eshak , Omran Husna , Osman Youssef Hadi , Ozdede Murat , Karahan Tugce Ozlu , Öztürk Bengi , Parlar Yavuz E , Polat Yunus Halil , Rammal Almotasembillah , Rasool Dr. Asia Salah , Program Hepatology Subspecialty , Ali Şahan Mehmet , Salah Yara Mohamed , Sasi Nairoz Alnuri , Saylam Serhat , Şenateş Ebubekir , Avuk Hande Seven , Shajee Mohammed Raziuddin , Shehata Mona Helmy , Shousha Hend I , Halil Söylemez İbrahim , Subasi Cemal Firat , Swaiss Marlain Odeh , Taharboucht Said , Tharwat Mostafa , Tuncer Melike , Turan Ilker , Turan Gökçe Dilara , Ulgut Gaye , Usluoglu Yilmaz , Ustaoglu Muge , Waked Imam , Y Marwa , Yacoub Haythem , Yurci Alper , Zaki Moshera Ahmed , Zakri Ysear 

TITLE=Mapping artificial intelligence adoption in hepatology practice and research: challenges and opportunities in MENA region

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1630831

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2025.1630831

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly relevant to hepatology, yet real-world adoption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is uncertain. We assessed awareness, use, perceived value, barriers, and policy priorities among hepatology clinicians in the region.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey targeted hepatologists and gastroenterologists across 17 MENA countries. The survey assessed clinical and research applications of AI, perceived benefits, clinical and research use, barriers, ethical considerations, and institutional readiness. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were performed.ResultsOf 285 invited professionals, 236 completed the survey (response rate: 82.8%). While 73.2% recognized the transformative potential of AI, only 14.4% used AI tools daily, primarily for imaging analysis and disease prediction. AI tools were used in research by 39.8% of respondents, mainly for data analysis, manuscript writing assistance, and predictive modeling. Major barriers included inadequate training (60.6%), limited AI tool access (53%), and insufficient infrastructure (53%). Ethical concerns focused on data privacy, diagnostic accuracy, and over-reliance on automation. Despite these challenges, 70.3% expressed strong interest in AI training., and 43.6% anticipating routine clinical integration within 1–3 years.ConclusionMENA hepatologists are optimistic about AI but report limited routine use and substantial readiness gaps. Priorities include scalable training, interoperable infrastructure and standards, clear governance with human-in-the-loop safeguards, and region-specific validation to enable safe, equitable implementation.