Ajman, UAE: Thumbay Group has marked a significant milestone in its journey of advancing medical research and innovation with the groundbreaking of the Thumbay International Research Centre, a state-of-the-art six-storey facility dedicated to scientific discovery, diagnostics, and clinical research.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 10 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Ajman Executive Council, and was hosted by Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
The new facility is expected to become a major hub for medical innovation, bringing together researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and technology innovators under one roof.
Centre designed to support advanced medical research
Located in Al Jurf, Ajman, the research centre will be built on a 3,000-square-metre site and will comprise a ground floor, five upper floors, and a rooftop, rising to a height of 27.75 metres.
The facility has been strategically designed to support the entire research continuum, from discovery and experimentation to clinical application and innovation.
The first floor will house start-up laboratories, an incubation centre, and an advanced augmented and virtual reality laboratory. The second floor will contain general-purpose 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, while the fifth floor will feature comprehensive preclinical research facilities, including animal laboratories and a dedicated zebrafish research unit.
A 110-seat seminar hall and a shared imaging core facility will be located on the ground floor.
New home for Gulf Medical University research ecosystem
The centre will serve as the permanent base for the research ecosystem of Gulf Medical University, supporting faculty members, researchers, and students across its colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare.
The facility will also house the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM), which has so far operated within existing university infrastructure.
In addition, the centre will bring together researchers, doctoral scholars, genomics experts, health-tech entrepreneurs, and clinical teams from the GMU Startup Lab and the Thumbay Institute for AI in Healthcare, creating a collaborative innovation environment.
Leadership outlines vision for research excellence
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the new centre represents the next phase of Thumbay Group’s long-term investment in healthcare, education, and innovation.
He noted that after building hospitals, healthcare services, and one of the Gulf region’s leading private medical universities, the focus is now on integrating discovery, diagnosis, and treatment through advanced research.
Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Chancellor of 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.
He added that the new facility will provide internationally competitive research infrastructure and strengthen the university’s position as a research-intensive institution.
Prof. Salem Chouaib, Director of TRIPM, highlighted that the centre will support advanced immunotherapy studies, genomics research, liquid biopsy programmes, and preclinical investigations through dedicated infrastructure.
Research grants and honorary doctorates announced
The ceremony also marked the announcement of the second cycle of the Thumbay International Research Grant programme.
A total of AED 3 million was awarded to 13 research projects led by investigators from institutions across 26 countries, each working in collaboration with researchers from Gulf Medical University.
The funded projects cover areas including precision oncology, drug discovery, cochlear implant research, artificial intelligence in medical education, and veterinary diabetes research.
The programme includes collaborations with globally recognised institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Baylor University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Arizona, University of Waterloo, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Medical University of Lublin.
The university also conferred honorary doctorates upon K. E. Faizal and Mohammed Meeran in recognition of their contributions to industry, philanthropy, and community development.
Centre to drive future healthcare innovation
Upon completion, the Thumbay International Research Centre will support several flagship initiatives, including the PhD in Precision Medicine programme, the Future Scientists of the UAE initiative, the annual GMU Research Day, and a growing portfolio of international collaborations.
The centre will work closely with the Thumbay Institute of Population Health, the Thumbay Institute for AI in Healthcare, the Thumbay Institute of Clinical Simulation, and Thumbay Labs to strengthen research in genomics, precision medicine, and healthcare innovation.
The project marks a major step in Thumbay Group’s vision of positioning Ajman as a regional hub for medical research, scientific innovation, and advanced healthcare solutions.