The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries face persistent drug shortages and inefficiencies in pharmaceutical inventory management across their healthcare systems, a problem exacerbated by heavy reliance on imports and rapid population growth that complicates demand forecasting. The study aims to understand level of Artificial Intelligence adoption in GCC healthcare systems in order to manage pharmaceutical inventory and the barriers of implementation. Using a mixed-methods approach of a cross-sectional online survey of 86 participants across all six GCC states (40 complete responses) and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including healthcare providers, distributors, and manufacturers. Survey results confirmed frequent drug shortages, with 87% of respondents reporting patient care impacts and 92% rating the impact as moderate or high. Despite over 90% of participants recognizing AI’s potential to enhance demand forecasting, adoption of AI tools remains low in practice across the sector, with only a minority of organizations having implemented AI solutions. Key barriers to AI adoption include limited funding, fragmented data systems, and integration challenges. The study also revealed gaps in stakeholder awareness; for example, healthcare providers perceived shortages’ clinical impact more acutely than supply-side stakeholders, and the economic burden of shortages remains under-recognized due to weak cost-tracking systems. The study concludes that AI’s potential for optimizing pharmaceutical inventory remains largely untapped in the GCC and that shifting from reactive crisis management to proactive, AI-driven supply chain resilience will require systemic changes in policy and practice.

Keywords

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain, Gulf Countries, Artificial Intelligence, Medical Supplies, Inventory Management