Interprofessional education in Gulf Countries: A scoping review

Interprofessional education (IPE) is globally recognized as a transformative strategy to prepare health professions students for collaborative practice. However, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, the extent to which IPE has been integrated and evaluated remains unclear. This scoping review aimed to explore how IPE has been implemented in health professions education in the gulf, synthesize the characteristics of published interventions, and identify emerging themes related to its outcomes and challenges. A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Multiple databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English that reported on IPE interventions conducted within GCC countries. Data from included studies were charted and analyzed thematically. Out of a large pool of initial records, nine studies met the inclusion criteria, all originating from three countries: Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Most interventions were short-term and delivered through case-based learning, simulation-based training, or online/classroom-based workshops, primarily targeting undergraduate students. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: IPE as a catalyst for transforming attitudes toward collaboration; IPE as a mechanism for clarifying professional roles and boundaries; and IPE as a platform for practice preparedness. Despite growing interest in IPE across the GCC, peer-reviewed evidence remains limited and geographically concentrated. Current interventions, while promising, are often episodic and lack deep curricular integration. Future efforts should prioritize the development of theory-informed, longitudinal IPE programs, especially in underrepresented countries, and promote faculty development and regional collaboration to embed IPE in Gulf health professions education.