Developing mentors and leaders in gulf gastroenterology: the gastroleaders framework

INTRODUCTION: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) gastroenterology services are expanding, but published evidence on structured specialty-specific mentorship and leadership development remains uneven and is concentrated in a small number of countries. AREAS COVERED: This critical perspective distinguishes the proposed GastroLeaders leadership-and-mentorship intervention from clinical education and independent procedural accreditation. PubMed/MEDLINE was searched from inception through 31 August 2026 using terms for mentorship, leadership, gastroenterology training, hepatology, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), motility and endoscopy; official society and regulator websites were checked through early September 2026. The paper provides a six-country situational analysis, uses the UK JRCPTB/JAG system as an adaptable, not flawless, exemplar, expands priorities in hepatology, inflammatory bowel disease, neurogastroenterology and motility, advanced endoscopy, nutrition and communication, and specifies a prospective multicentre pilot with SMART targets, validated measures, cost and equity indicators, and 24-month follow-up. EXPERT OPINION: GastroLeaders should first be tested as a bounded, cross-specialty-compatible professional-development programme. Scale-up should depend on predefined feasibility, equity and effectiveness thresholds; clinical credentials must remain with recognized national and procedural authorities.