DUBAI, 27th October, 2026 (WAM) -- The Global Business School for Health (GBSH), part of University College London (UCL) which celebrates its bicentenary this year, is bringing the world’s first business school dedicated exclusively to health to Dubai.
In close collaboration with the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), the governing body of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), UCL Global Business School for Health, Dubai will contribute to the UAE’s established healthcare, education, research, and innovation landscape, while creating new opportunities for specialised learning, capability development, and collaboration across the UAE and wider region.
UCL Global Business School for Health, Dubai is closely aligned with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, and Dubai’s Education 33 (E33) strategy, which aims to establish Dubai as one of the world’s top 10 cities for students with over 70 higher education institutions envisaged by 2033, while supporting national priorities around healthy life expectancy, preventative healthcare, medical tourism, precision medicine, AI, and life sciences.
With a diversified focus across healthcare, life sciences, AI, economics, policy, innovation, and leadership, UCL GBSH Dubai brings the legacy and global research strength of one of the world’s leading universities. UCL is ranked joint #8 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, with a 200-year history of academic excellence, research, and innovation as well as 33 Nobel Prize laureates among its former staff and students.
It will extend that global impact to the region, creating a long-term platform for interdisciplinary executive education, postgraduate management degrees, customised capability-building programmes, collaborative research and innovation, and long-term organisational partnerships specifically designed to address the increasingly complex challenges facing health systems and organisations.
Allae Almanini, Chief Operating Officer at DHCA, said: “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 Strategic Development Sector at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said: “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 the UCL Global Business School for Health, Dubai, said: “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.''