Can capital unlock the longevity economy?

https://arab.news/5429z As populations age and healthcare shifts from treating disease to extending healthy lifespans, longevity is emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing investment themes. No longer confined to biotech laboratories, it now spans artificial intelligence, precision medicine, preventive healthcare, insurance, real estate, financial services and consumer wellness. Yet despite growing scientific progress, the sector faces a major obstacle: capital. Global investment in longevity has accelerated over the past decade, attracting venture capital, institutional investors and corporate funding. But compared with sectors such as fintech or clean energy, investment remains fragmented and relatively illiquid. The challenge is not a lack of opportunity, but a financial ecosystem that has yet to evolve alongside scientific innovation. This is what I describe as the 'longevity liquidity gap.' Many investors still view longevity as a high-risk niche dominated by early-stage biotechnology companies with long development cycles and uncertain returns. At the same time, financial markets lack standardized instruments that allow institutional investors to participate at scale. Bridging this gap requires more than additional funding. It demands new investment structures, including specialized exchange-traded funds, hybrid investment vehicles and financial products linked to measurable longevity outcomes. These tools could unlock significant pools of institutional capital while making the sector more accessible to mainstream investors. Financial institutions will play a central role in this transition. Banks, insurers and asset managers have an opportunity to develop products that reflect longer, healthier lives rather than simply longer life expectancy. Longevity-focused ETFs, insurance products, pension strategies and investment models built around healthspan could reshape how capital is allocated while helping societies adapt to demographic change. Governments also have an important role. Public policy should move beyond healthcare spending alone and focus on building long-term longevity ecosystems through sustained investment in aging research, preventive medicine and AI-driven drug discovery. Tax incentives, public-private partnerships and workforce reskilling will be equally important as healthcare increasingly shifts toward predictive and personalized medicine. Countries that integrate healthy aging into their economic strategies will gain far more than improved public health. They will benefit from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs and the emergence of entirely new industries. Progress, however, remains constrained by fragmentation. Research institutions, healthcare providers, technology companies, regulators and investors often operate independently, slowing the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world applications. Breaking down these silos through better data sharing, AI-enabled research and coordinated regulatory frameworks will be essential if longevity innovation is to reach scale. Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly accelerate this transition. AI is already transforming drug discovery, biomarker identification and predictive diagnostics. But its greatest contribution will be enabling healthcare to move from reactive treatment toward continuous prevention and personalized health management. The longevity economy itself is also expanding beyond biotechnology. Real estate, financial services, insurance, wellness, digital health and consumer technology are increasingly becoming part of the sector. As people live longer and healthier lives, demand will grow for products and services designed to support healthy aging across every stage of life. The Gulf is particularly well positioned to capitalize on this transformation. Saudi Arabia and the UAE combine long-term national strategies, strong capital resources and a willingness to invest in emerging technologies. Vision 2030 places healthcare innovation, biotechnology and AI at the heart of Saudi Arabia's economic diversification, while the UAE is already supporting projects that integrate longevity into urban development and preventive healthcare. Together, these initiatives create opportunities to build regional ecosystems that combine research, AI, precision medicine, wellness and investment. Global investors are taking notice. The GCC offers a rare combination of capital availability, regulatory flexibility and ambitious national strategies. Early investors have opportunities across AI-enabled healthcare, precision medicine, biotechnology, preventive health platforms and age-tech startups. With supportive policy frameworks and growing international partnerships, the region could become one of the world's leading hubs for longevity innovation. Strong governance will be equally important. Longevity research depends on large volumes of highly sensitive data, including genomic information, medical records and wearable-device data. Clear regulatory frameworks that protect privacy while enabling responsible innovation will be critical for attracting investment and maintaining public trust. Ultimately, longevity should no longer be viewed simply as a healthcare issue. It is becoming an economic sector in its own right, comparable in strategic importance to fintech, clean energy and digital health. Over the next decade, healthcare, AI and financial markets will become increasingly interconnected. New investment products, insurance models and capital markets will emerge around healthspan rather than illness. AI will help power this transformation, but the larger shift will be financial: recognizing longevity as a measurable economic opportunity rather than simply a medical challenge. The countries and institutions that succeed will be those that understand a simple reality. Extending healthy lives is not only a scientific achievement—it is one of the defining investment opportunities of the 21st century. • Dmitry Kaminskiy is general partner of Deep Knowledge Group.