Ajman: Thumbay Group today marked a major milestone in its commitment to advancing medical research and innovation with the groundbreaking of the Thumbay International Research Centre, a purpose-built, six-storey research facility in Al Jurf, Ajman. Designed to integrate scientific discovery, diagnostics, and clinical care under one roof, the centre will foster seamless collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and healthcare innovators.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held at Dusit Ajman Resort & Villas under the patronage of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Ajman Executive Council, and was hosted by Dr Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group.
Spanning approximately 3,000 square metres (32,283 sq. ft.) across a ground floor, five upper levels, and a rooftop, the facility will rise to a height of 27.75 metres on Plot 7150 in Al Jurf. Located within an active healthcare and academic ecosystem, the centre will enable research teams to work alongside clinical practitioners from its first day of operation.
The facility has been strategically designed to support the full research continuum. The first floor will house start-up laboratories, an incubation centre, and an advanced AR/VR laboratory. The second floor will accommodate general wet laboratories, while the third floor will focus on experimental oncology research.
The fourth floor will be dedicated to genomics, next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics. A comprehensive preclinical research floor featuring animal facilities and a dedicated zebrafish research unit will occupy the fifth floor. The ground floor will include a 110-seat seminar hall and a shared imaging core facility.
The Thumbay International Research Centre will serve as the permanent home of Gulf Medical University’s research enterprise, supporting faculty, researchers, and students across its colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and AI in Healthcare. The facility will be anchored by the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM), which has until now operated within existing university facilities.
The centre will also bring together health-tech entrepreneurs from the GMU Startup Lab and the Thumbay Institute for AI in Healthcare with doctoral researchers, genomics specialists, and clinical teams, creating a collaborative innovation environment that is rare within the region.
Dr Thumbay Moideen, Founder President, Thumbay Group said: "For the past three decades, we have invested in building hospitals, healthcare services, and a world-class , Biggest & No.1 private medical university in the gulf. This research centre represents the next chapter of that journey. Our vision was to bring discovery, diagnosis, and treatment together."
Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Chancellor, Gulf Medical University said: "The strength of a medical university is measured not only by the degrees it awards but also by the quality and impact of its research. This facility provides our faculty and students with the infrastructure needed to conduct internationally competitive research and positions Gulf Medical University firmly on the path toward becoming a leading research-intensive institution. Today, that vision takes a significant step forward."
Prof. Salem Chouaib, Director, Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM) said: "The new centre removes many of the limitations that have constrained our ambitions. It provides dedicated infrastructure for immunotherapy combination studies, advanced genomics and liquid biopsy research, and preclinical investigations supported by a fully operational zebrafish platform. Initiatives such as the region’s first liquid biopsy programme and our diabetes–cancer genetics collaboration with RCDR can now move from concept to implementation."
The groundbreaking ceremony also celebrated two additional milestones. Thumbay Group announced the second cycle of the Thumbay International Research Grant, awarding funding of Dh3 million to 13 research projects led by investigators from institutions across twenty-six countries, each collaborating with a Gulf Medical University researcher.
The funded projects span precision oncology, drug discovery, cochlear implant research, artificial intelligence in medical education, and veterinary diabetes, among other areas, and will directly benefit from the new research infrastructure and we are partnering with Harvard Medical School, Baylor University, Washington University and University of Arizona in the USA. Waterloo University in Canada, Policlinico hospital in Italy, Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Regensburg University, Hannover Medical School, and Charité (Berlin) in Germany, and Lublin University in Poland, very soon the third cycle will be announced.
In addition, Gulf Medical University conferred honorary doctorates upon K. E. Faizal, Founder and Chairman of KEF Holdings and the Faizal & Shabana Foundation, and Mr. Mohammed Meeran, Founder and Chairman of Electric Way, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to industry, philanthropy, and community development.
Upon completion, the Thumbay International Research Centre will support several flagship initiatives, including the PhD in Precision Medicine, the Future Scientists of the UAE outreach programme, the annual GMU Research Day, and a growing portfolio of international research collaborations led by TRIPM.
The centre will also be closely integrated with Gulf Medical University’s wider research ecosystem, including the Thumbay Institute of Population Health, the Thumbay Institute for AI in Healthcare, the Thumbay Institute of Clinical Simulation, and Thumbay Labs, whose diagnostic services will support the centre’s genomics and precision medicine programmes.
Admissions are currently open for all academic programmes offered by Gulf Medical University. For more information, visit www.gmu.ac.ae.