Thumbay Group

Thumbay Group is a privately held, UAE-based diversified business conglomerate founded by Dr. Thumbay Moideen. Its principal activities are concentrated in healthcare and medical education, but the group also operates across diagnostics, pharmacies, clinics, medical tourism, wellness, nutrition retail, optical retail, hospitality, real estate, media, technology, events, trading, marketing, and distribution. The group is headquartered in Dubai International Financial Centre, while its operating footprint is strongly associated with the Northern Emirates and with Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah. The group’s institutional foundation is Gulf Medical University. In 1997, before the formal establishment of Thumbay Group’s wider business platform, Thumbay Moideen was invited by the Rulers of Ajman to establish a medical college. The education venture was intended to expand access to higher education in medicine and allied health sciences in the UAE. It subsequently developed into Gulf Medical University, a higher-education institution offering programs in medicine and healthcare disciplines, ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate study to short-term and online learning. According to the group’s published profile, the university has attracted students from more than 75 nationalities and staff from approximately 25 countries. The wider group began building operations across multiple sectors from 1998 onward. Healthcare became its most visible commercial and operating platform through Thumbay Hospitals, Thumbay Clinics, Thumbay Pharmacy, and Thumbay Labs. The hospital network combines clinical services with the group’s academic orientation and has facilities in several UAE emirates, as well as Hyderabad, India. Clinics provide family and outpatient care, while the pharmacy network extends the group’s consumer healthcare presence. Thumbay Labs operates a private diagnostic laboratory network and has described its facilities as accredited by the College of American Pathologists in relevant locations. Thumbay Group has also developed businesses that support or complement its healthcare ecosystem. These include medical tourism services for international patients, health communications and professional events, HEALTH magazine, wellness clubs and spas under Body & Soul, nutrition stores under Nutri Plus Vita Store, and optical outlets under Zo & Mo Opticals. Hospitality and lifestyle activities include The Terrace restaurant chain, Blends and Brews Coffee Shoppe, and The Flower Shoppe. Other subsidiaries and divisions include Thumbay Builders, Thumbay Media, Thumbay Technologies, and Thumbay Marketing and Distribution Company, which works with healthcare, fashion, education, and other product suppliers. The group presents itself as an integrated healthcare and education platform rather than solely as a hospital operator. Its university, teaching hospitals, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, wellness businesses, and medical-tourism activities can serve connected parts of a patient and student journey. At the same time, real estate, technology, media, hospitality, and distribution broaden its business base beyond healthcare. The group has stated that it operates across 20 sectors and has received recognition in a Forbes Middle East listing of companies making an impact in the Arab world. It remains privately held and is led by its founder and president, Dr. Thumbay Moideen.

Thumbay Group’s origins are closely tied to the development of private medical education in the United Arab Emirates. In 1997, Dr. Thumbay Moideen became the first expatriate invited by the Rulers of Ajman to establish a medical college in the emirate. The initiative responded to demand for locally accessible education in medicine and healthcare sciences and became the group’s first major venture. That institution later developed into Gulf Medical University, the flagship educational enterprise of Thumbay Group. Gulf Medical University expanded beyond the model of a single medical college. It developed a broader portfolio of programs in medicine and allied health sciences, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses, short-term programs, and online learning. The university’s international student and faculty composition became a central element of the group’s identity. The group states that the institution has served students from more than 75 countries and employed staff from approximately 25 countries, helping position Ajman as a destination for international medical education. From 1998, Thumbay Group began establishing businesses across sectors. Healthcare remained the organizing center of this expansion. Thumbay Hospitals were developed as academic hospitals connected to the group’s university and broader health system. The hospital network grew across Ajman, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah in the UAE, with an additional presence in Hyderabad, India. Thumbay Clinics extended the network into family and outpatient care, with locations reported in Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah. The group also added retail pharmacies and diagnostic laboratories, creating consumer-facing and clinical support businesses around its hospital and clinic operations. The diagnostic business became an important part of the group’s healthcare platform. Thumbay Labs built a network of private laboratories in the UAE and Hyderabad and has described its facilities as among the larger College of American Pathologists-accredited private laboratory networks in the Middle East. Medical tourism services were introduced to connect overseas patients with the group’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Health communications activities, including conferences, workshops, symposia, and seminars, further linked the clinical and academic sides of the organization. The group subsequently broadened its portfolio into wellness and lifestyle services. Body & Soul Health Clubs & Spas added fitness and wellness facilities, including Elite outlets and children’s gym services. Nutri Plus Vita Store entered nutrition retail, while Zo & Mo Opticals added optical shops. The group also developed HEALTH magazine, a bilingual health and lifestyle publication, and entered hospitality through The Terrace restaurant chain and Blends and Brews Coffee Shoppe. The Flower Shoppe provided an additional retail concept. Beyond directly health-related businesses, Thumbay Group established or acquired activities in real estate, technology, media, events, trading, marketing, and distribution. Thumbay Builders became its property and construction arm, particularly in the Northern Emirates. Thumbay Technologies provided information-technology services, while Thumbay Media and the health communications division supported content and event activities. Thumbay Marketing and Distribution Company worked with suppliers and brands across healthcare, fashion, and education. The group has described its overall operations as spanning 20 sectors. The resulting organization is a diversified group whose strongest distinctive feature is the connection between medical education, academic healthcare, diagnostics, retail health services, and medical tourism. Its non-healthcare businesses provide additional commercial platforms and support services. Thumbay Group remains privately held and continues to be led by its founder and president, Dr. Thumbay Moideen. Its public profile has included recognition in a Forbes Middle East listing of companies identified as making an impact in the Arab world.

• 1998

  Thumbay Group begins wider business operations

  [1]Thumbay Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group began expanding beyond its original medical-education initiative and developed operations across multiple sectors.

• 1997

  Medical college initiative begins in Ajman

  [1]Thumbay Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. Thumbay Moideen was invited by Ajman’s Rulers to establish a medical college, creating the foundation for the group’s later education and healthcare platform.

• Gulf Medical University develops as flagship institution

  [1]Thumbay Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The medical college evolved into Gulf Medical University, offering a broad range of medical and healthcare-science programs to an international student body.

• Healthcare network expands across the UAE and India

  [1]Thumbay Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Thumbay Hospitals, Clinics, Pharmacy, and Labs established operations across multiple UAE emirates and in Hyderabad, India.

An integrated, privately owned healthcare and education-led conglomerate serving the UAE and selected international markets, with adjacent consumer, property, hospitality, media, and technology businesses.

• Medical education · 1997

  Gulf Medical University

  Thumbay Group’s flagship education institution, Gulf Medical University offers programs in medicine and healthcare sciences. Its portfolio spans undergraduate and postgraduate education as well as short-term and online courses. The university’s international intake and faculty base are central to its role in the group’s healthcare ecosystem.

• Hospitals and academic healthcare

  Thumbay Hospitals

  A network of hospitals positioned as academic healthcare institutions connected with Thumbay Group’s medical-education activities. Facilities are located in several UAE emirates, including Ajman, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah, with an additional hospital presence in Hyderabad, India.

• Family and outpatient healthcare

  Thumbay Clinics

  A chain of family clinics providing outpatient and primary-care services in multiple UAE emirates. Reported locations include Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah, including the Thumbay Clinic ELITE concept in Ajman.

• Medical diagnostics

  Thumbay Labs

  A private diagnostic-laboratory network operating in the UAE and Hyderabad, India. The group describes its laboratories as part of a major CAP-accredited private diagnostics network in the Middle East.

• Retail pharmacy

  Thumbay Pharmacy

  A chain of retail pharmacies extending Thumbay’s healthcare presence into community and consumer services. Branches have been reported across Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Hyderabad.

• Medical tourism

  Thumbay Medical Tourism

  A service division that promotes the group’s hospitals and healthcare facilities to international patients and supports the group’s positioning as a cross-border healthcare provider.

• Wellness and fitness

  Body & Soul Health Clubs & Spas

  A wellness and fitness chain with clubs and spas in the UAE, including Elite outlets and children’s gym offerings. It extends the group’s health proposition beyond clinical treatment into fitness and lifestyle services.

• Nutrition retail

  Nutri Plus Vita Store

  A nutrition-focused retail chain with reported locations in Ajman, Sharjah, Fujairah, and Dubai.

• Optical retail

  Zo & Mo Opticals

  An optical-retail chain operating in parts of the UAE, including Ajman, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah.

• Hospitality

  The Terrace Restaurant

  A multi-cuisine restaurant concept within Thumbay Group’s hospitality portfolio. The flagship outlet in Al Jurf, Ajman, is described as HACCP certified.

• Hospitality

  Blends and Brews Coffee Shoppe

  A UAE-origin coffee-shop concept with outlets across the UAE and in Hyderabad, India.

• Real estate and construction

  Thumbay Builders

  The group’s real-estate and construction business, described as one of the larger real-estate companies in the Northern Emirates.

• Health publishing

  HEALTH Magazine

  A bilingual, health and lifestyle-focused magazine published on a periodic basis and associated with Thumbay Group’s health communications activities.

1. 1Thumbay Groupen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Thumbay Group official websitethumbaygroup.com