Family Medicine in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Perspectives, Directions, and Future Opportunities

Family medicine has attracted increasing policy and institutional support across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries through health system reform, expansion of the healthcare workforce, and sustained public investment. Nevertheless, important challenges continue to affect the strength of primary healthcare systems, access to care, and the management of non-communicable diseases. Regional priorities now include improving medical education and training, expanding the family medicine workforce, strengthening links with communities, promoting more equitable access to healthcare, and managing treatment costs through workforce development and digital health initiatives. Family medicine practice across the GCC is being supported increasingly by electronic health records, telemedicine, and interprofessional education. Policy directions in the region also suggest growing interest in value-based research, international collaboration, multidisciplinary care, and innovation in healthcare delivery. The future of development of family medicine in the GCC will depend on better integration of digital health, more effective use of data in planning and policy, continued investment in training, and broader adoption of patient-centred models of care.