Thumbay Group breaks ground on major medical research centre in UAE

Thumbay Group has started construction on a new research facility that could reshape medical innovation in the UAE. The Thumbay International Research Centre will be a six-storey building in Al Jurf, Ajman, designed to bring together researchers, doctors, and tech entrepreneurs in one location.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place under the patronage of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman. The 3,000-square-metre facility will rise 27.75 metres and house advanced laboratories, research units, and collaboration spaces.

How does it work?

The centre has been designed with different floors for different types of research:

• First floor: Start-up labs, incubation centre, and AR/VR laboratory
• Second floor: General wet laboratories
• Third floor: Cancer research facilities
• Fourth floor: Genomics and DNA sequencing labs
• Fifth floor: Animal research facilities and zebrafish studies
• Ground floor: 110-seat seminar hall and shared imaging equipment

The facility will serve as the permanent home for Gulf Medical University's research programs. It will be anchored by the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, which currently operates within existing university buildings.

Researchers from multiple fields will work together, including specialists in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, and AI in healthcare. The centre will also house health-tech entrepreneurs from the GMU Startup Lab.

Why does it matter?

This facility addresses a major gap in the UAE's research infrastructure. Most medical research in the region happens in separate, isolated facilities. By putting everything under one roof, the centre could speed up the process of turning lab discoveries into actual treatments.

"Our vision was to bring discovery, diagnosis, and treatment together," said Dr Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group. The centre will support several flagship programs, including a PhD in Precision Medicine and international research partnerships.

The facility will enable research that wasn't possible before in the region. This includes:

• The region's first liquid biopsy program
• Advanced cancer treatment studies
• Diabetes and cancer genetics research
• AI applications in medical education

The context

The UAE has been investing heavily in becoming a regional hub for medical research and innovation. This fits into the country's broader economic diversification strategy, moving away from oil dependence toward knowledge-based industries.

Thumbay Group also announced Dh3 million in new research grants for 13 projects involving researchers from 26 countries. These partnerships include prestigious institutions like Harvard Medical School, Baylor University, and Charité Berlin.

The timing is significant as the global medical research industry increasingly values collaboration between different specialties. Traditional research often happens in silos, but complex diseases like cancer require expertise from multiple fields working together.

For the UAE, facilities like this help attract international talent and establish the country as a serious player in global medical research. The centre will support Gulf Medical University's goal of becoming a research-intensive institution, not just a teaching university.