UAE’s first private veterinary teaching hospital and college launched in Ajman

Dubai: The UAE has taken a major step towards advancing veterinary healthcare and education with the launch of the country’s first private veterinary teaching hospital and college in Ajman.

Thumbay Group broke ground today on the new project at Thumbay Medicity in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Ajman Executive Council, who attended as chief guest alongside Dr. Thumbay Moideen, founder president of Thumbay Group.

The project has brought together advanced veterinary care, academic training, and future farm-based learning facilities under one integrated campus.

Filling a long-standing gap

Until now, students seeking advanced veterinary care and formal veterinary education in the UAE often had to study abroad or have been largely concentrated in public institutions.

Thumbay Veterinary Hospital and Thumbay College of Veterinary Medicine aim to bridge that gap by offering both clinical care and hands-on training locally.

The hospital has been set to treat a wide range of animals, from household pets like dogs, cats, and exotic animals to horses, camels, and livestock, all of which play an important role in UAE society and culture.

Moreover, a dedicated teaching farm has been planned in the next phase to further expand practical learning opportunities for students in areas such as production animal medicine, herd health, and farm management.

International-standard facility

The hospital is being developed to international standards and will feature specialised sections for small and large animal care, surgery, diagnostic imaging, intensive care, laboratory services, and isolation units.

According to Thumbay Group, the integrated setup has been designed to expose students to the "full spectrum" of veterinary practice before graduation.

For his part, Moideen has noted that the project reflects the group’s long-term commitment to healthcare and education in the UAE.

"When we started Thumbay nearly three decades ago, the goal was simple, bring world-class healthcare and education to the UAE so families would not have to look elsewhere. Today we extend that promise to the animals who share our homes, our farms, and our heritage," said Moideen.

He has highlighted that the veterinary hospital would deliver the same standards associated with Thumbay’s healthcare network, while the college would provide students with a UAE-based route into a profession increasingly needed across the region.

Clinical exposure from year one

The college will operate under Gulf Medical University, Thumbay Group’s flagship academic institution.

Its flagship programme, the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has been created around clinical exposure from the first year, evidence-based practice and research tailored to regional realities.

Manda Venkataramana, chancellor of Gulf Medical University, has bared that the combination of a teaching hospital, college, and working farm would create a learning model rarely seen globally.

"Our curriculum is built around clinical exposure from year one, evidence-based practice, and research that responds to the realities of this region, desert species, working animals, food-producing livestock and companion animals so beloved by UAE families," stated Venkataramana.

Focus on camels, falcons, and equine care

Additionally, the college has established collaborations with veterinary hospitals, research centres, and industry partners in the UAE and internationally.

These include Thumbay Veterinary Clinic for in-house clinical training base, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research for academic and research collaboration, Royal Veterinary College London for globally recognised veterinary school partnership, Sharjah Equine Hospital for equine medicine and surgery rotations, Sharjah Falcon Hospital for avian and falcon medicine, and UAQ Camel Breeding Centre for camel medicine, reproduction, and herd health.

Other partnerships include City Vet Hospital Groups for multi-site companion animal practice exposure, ABC Feed Factory for animal nutrition and production industry partnership, and Don State University Russia for international academic and research collaboration

Admissions and programme details are available at Gulf Medical University's official website.