University College London Brings World's First Health Business School

University College London (UCL) has announced the strategic expansion of its Global Business School for Health (GBSH) to Dubai, establishing the world’s first business school dedicated exclusively to health in the UAE. The move was revealed at a special industry event held in Dubai Healthcare City on 26 October 2026, marking a significant addition to the emirate’s growing higher education and healthcare landscape.

The launch took place in the presence of senior government and institutional leaders, including H.E. Aisha Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA); H.E. Malek Sultan Al Malek, Chairman of Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA); H.E. Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation; Gemma Stevenson, UK Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates; Issam Galadari, CEO of DHCA; and Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health and President of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Other attendees included representatives from the British Embassy, KHDA, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and TECOM Group.

Operating in close collaboration with the Dubai Healthcare City Authority, the governing body of Dubai Healthcare City, UCL Global Business School for Health Dubai will contribute to the UAE’s established ecosystem of healthcare, education, research and innovation. It aims to create new opportunities for specialised learning, capability development and cross-sector collaboration across the UAE and the wider region.

The initiative is closely aligned with national and emirate-level strategies, including the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, and Dubai’s Education 33 (E33) strategy. Education 33 seeks to position Dubai among the world’s top 10 cities for students, with more than 70 higher education institutions expected by 2033. The school will also support priorities around healthy life expectancy, preventative healthcare, medical tourism, precision medicine, artificial intelligence and life sciences.

UCL, ranked joint eighth globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, brings two centuries of academic excellence and a legacy that includes 33 Nobel Prize laureates among its former staff and students. The Dubai campus will extend this global research strength into the region through interdisciplinary executive education, postgraduate management degrees, customised capability-building programmes, collaborative research and long-term organisational partnerships. These offerings are specifically designed to address the complex challenges facing modern health systems and organisations.

Allae Almanini, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Healthcare City Authority, welcomed the development. “UCL Global Business School for Health brings distinctive academic expertise into our ecosystem, strengthening the knowledge and capabilities that support the continued advancement of healthcare delivery, while creating new opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration. The partnership also supports DHCC’s objective, as mandated by our establishment law, to contribute to encouraging medical education, while developing the specialised talent and capabilities needed for Dubai’s evolving health sector. UCL GBSH’s presence will further reinforce Dubai Healthcare City as a destination for healthcare, education, research and innovation.”

Dr. Wafi Dawood, CEO of the Strategic Development Sector at KHDA, emphasised the broader educational impact. “We are delighted to welcome UCL Global Business School for Health to Dubai, further strengthening the emirate’s position as a global destination for world-class education and talent. The arrival of a globally renowned institution with such a distinctive focus on health, leadership, innovation, and interdisciplinary learning reflects the ambitions of Dubai’s Education 33 Strategy to provide learners with access to high-quality, future-focused education and equip them with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

UCL GBSH will create opportunities for learners from the UAE and around the world to learn from leading global expertise while contributing to the development of the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that will shape the future of Dubai’s health economy.”

Professor Nora Colton, Founding Director of UCL Global Business School for Health, outlined the rationale behind the expansion. “Healthcare transformation is no longer limited by clinical expertise, but increasingly depends on leadership capability, organisational performance, digital transformation, and the ability to lead complex systems. The UAE has set out clear and ambitious visions for the future of health, extending beyond healthcare delivery to prevention, longevity, technology, innovation, and the development of a highly skilled workforce. Realising that vision will require leaders who can work across traditional boundaries and organisations with the capability to continually adapt and transform.

We are bringing the world’s first business school dedicated exclusively to health, backed by 200 years of UCL’s academic excellence, into one of the world’s most dynamic healthcare regions to address this need, while delivering on Dubai’s transformative vision for high-quality, learner-centric education. The UCL Global Business School for Health, Dubai will build enduring partnerships with the government, healthcare providers, wider industry, and academia to address complex healthcare challenges, strengthen leadership capability, solve real organisational challenges, and contribute directly to the UAE’s future health economy.”

The school’s interdisciplinary model reflects the interconnected nature of contemporary health systems. It will bring together clinicians, healthcare executives, policymakers, economists, engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs to tackle organisational, operational and strategic challenges from multiple perspectives. Programmes will emphasise applied learning through healthcare case studies, industry engagement, research projects and live consultancy work with partner organisations, ensuring a focus on organisational outcomes rather than knowledge acquisition alone.

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UCL Global Business School for Health Dubai anticipates welcoming its first cohort in 2027 at its base in Dubai Healthcare City. It is positioned to become a leading provider of executive and postgraduate healthcare education across the UAE and the GCC. Executive education will form part of longer-term capability-building partnerships designed for immediate workplace application and sustainable organisational impact.

By combining UCL’s global academic reputation with Dubai’s dynamic healthcare and education environment, the new school aims to prepare leaders capable of navigating complex, multidisciplinary ecosystems at the intersection of healthcare, life sciences, artificial intelligence, economics, policy, innovation and leadership. Its presence is expected to strengthen the region’s capacity to build resilient, innovative and high-performing health systems for the future.