From vision to reality: Dr. Thumbay Moideen's journey in transforming UAE's medical education

In 1997, when Dr Thumbay Moideen stepped off the plane in the UAE, he wasn’t carrying a blueprint for one of the region’s largest private medical universities. What he had instead was conviction, the kind of unshakable faith that turns improbable ideas into institutions.

Today, as Founder and President of Thumbay Group, he reflects on a journey that transformed a single venture into a network spanning healthcare, education, research, retail, and hospitality. At the heart of it all stands Gulf Medical University (GMU), an institution that not only defined his career but helped define a new era in UAE education.

He is also the only Indian to own a private medical university in the entire Gulf, a distinction that reinforces just how rare and groundbreaking his journey has been.

The turning point in his career came with the birth of Gulf Medical University. “It wasn’t just an institution; it was a statement that private higher medical education in the UAE could match global standards,” he says.

The very first intake of students — diverse, multinational, and far beyond the Indian expatriate audience he had expected — proved his belief correct. For Dr. Moideen, GMU was more than a business success; it was proof that inclusivity, quality, and innovation could transcend national and cultural boundaries.

“Education and healthcare are the two pillars of any economy,” he stresses, “and the fact that we are building both makes our mission even more meaningful for the UAE.”

But the road to that milestone was anything but smooth. The idea of launching a private medical university in the late 1990s was nearly unthinkable. Regulations didn’t exist.

The mindset wasn’t there. “The first big hurdle was convincing even my well-wishers that such a project could work,” he recalls. Resistance was strong enough to make walking away seem logical. Instead, he held on. “My conviction in the purpose was far greater than the challenges in front of me,” he explains.

A chance meeting with the Ruler of Ajman became the catalyst. Asked to think of a project that could boost the emirate’s economy, Dr. Moideen proposed a medical college. The Ruler’s immediate trust, a handshake agreement, no less, sealed the course of history. “All I had was faith in what it could become,” he says.

The challenges piled on quickly: regulatory hurdles, lack of precedent, and even cultural concerns. In the early years, classes had partitions separating male and female students to satisfy local expectations.

When foreign students needed clinical placements, local hospitals amended rules, forcing him to convert a shopping mall into Ajman’s first private teaching hospital in just six months. “Bringing cadavers for training students was unheard of here,” he remembers. Each barrier forced innovation. Each compromise carved out new ground.

His inner clarity came from recognising the gap. “The region needed world-class medical education, and I believed we could bring it here. If we didn’t start, no one else might, and generations of students would lose the opportunity,” he says.

Today, GMU is the Gulf’s largest private medical university, with students from over 106 nationalities, a thriving academic health system that integrates education, healthcare, and research, and a reputation for breaking new ground.

The university is the only research-based private medical school in the UAE with its own dedicated grant system, currently $3 million a year, set to increase to $10 million, alongside a dedicated research building underway. It also pioneered the Thumbay College of Healthcare in AI, the first of its kind in the region, embedding artificial intelligence into healthcare education.

Behind those milestones are principles that have remained non-negotiable. “Stay true to the purpose, never compromise on quality, and think long-term,” he says. Those rules guided every decision, whether it was expanding Thumbay’s healthcare footprint or opening research labs.

The sacrifices were steep. “Time with my family was the biggest,” he admits. The early years were consumed by constant travel, 18-hour days, and the weight of every decision on his shoulders. Birthdays and anniversaries were missed. “But my family understood the purpose and stood by me, and that made the difference,” he says.

Even setbacks that threatened to derail the group, from global economic downturns to sudden funding challenges, never shook his focus. “Resilience lay in recalibrating priorities, safeguarding core strengths, and never letting short-term turbulence dictate long-term vision,” he explains.

That clarity extended to leadership. “Leadership is less about directing and more about inspiring,” he says. Surrounding himself with specialists, empowering them to act, and holding them to the highest standards became his formula. “I’ve learned to lead by example while ensuring the vision is always visible — in our strategy, in meetings, and in my own reflections.”

What stands out about Thumbay Group’s story is how it grew across sectors without losing its ethos. From education and healthcare to retail, hospitality, and wellness, the binding principle has always been service. “Whether we are treating a patient, educating a future doctor, hosting a family, or serving a community through retail, the mission is the same: deliver excellence with empathy, and create experiences that people trust and remember,” he says.

This, for Dr. Moideen, is also what “going global” means. “It isn’t about flags on a map. It’s about building a brand that embodies universal values — quality, integrity, and innovation — so that whether you step into a Thumbay facility in Ajman, Africa, or Asia, you feel the same standard, the same warmth, the same commitment to excellence.” Looking ahead, he makes the vision clear: “Our goal is to prepare a truly global presence within the next five years.”

And yet, his vision has never been only about institutions. It has always been about people. From offering free healthcare and community health camps to providing affordable access for patients while building teaching platforms for students, impact has remained central. “Institutions will stand, but it’s the impact on people that matters most,” he says.

Looking back, he believes the single biggest contribution was opening the doors for private medical education in the UAE. “We proved it could be done, not just as a business, but as a centre of excellence,” he says. The ripple effects are visible: GMU’s alumni practice worldwide, and its multicultural student body is redefining how healthcare is delivered in the region.

Asked how he would like future generations to remember him, Moideen doesn’t hesitate. “I hope they see both, a man who believed dreams could be built into institutions, and a brand that stood for quality, integrity, and service to humanity. If the story inspires even one person to dream bigger and work harder, then it will have been worth telling.”

For him, legacy isn’t measured in buildings, but in lives touched. A patient who found care when they had none, a student who became a doctor closer to home, or a young professional who built a career within the Group. “I want my legacy to be about enabling dreams,” he says.