SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates — Thumbay Group on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The 110,000-square-foot hospital is expected to become the region’s first fully integrated private hospital focused exclusively on mental health and rehabilitation services, amid growing demand for specialised treatment across the UAE and Gulf region.
The ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority and Sharjah Healthcare City, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Officials said the project was designed to address a long-standing gap in mental health and rehabilitation infrastructure, as many patients in the Gulf have traditionally travelled abroad for specialised psychiatric and recovery treatment.
The facility will include dedicated units for neuro-rehabilitation, addiction recovery, child and adolescent psychiatry, and mood and anxiety disorders, alongside inpatient and outpatient services. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed for long-term recovery and a mosque within the hospital campus.
Dr. Al Mheiri said the project reflected Sharjah’s broader healthcare strategy focused on comprehensive well-being.
“This project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to building a healthcare ecosystem that treats every dimension of human well-being. Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Moideen said the hospital was developed in response to increasing awareness surrounding mental health challenges faced by families in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long,” he said.
“This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust.”
Founded in 1998, Thumbay Group has grown into one of the UAE’s diversified business conglomerates with major interests in healthcare, medical education, diagnostics, retail pharmacy and wellness services.
The group operates the Gulf Medical University in Ajman, several academic hospitals, clinics and pharmacies across the UAE, and has expanded into sectors including hospitality, publishing and health technology.
Healthcare analysts say demand for mental health services in the Gulf has increased significantly in recent years due to greater awareness, population growth and changing social attitudes toward psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation.
Authorities in the UAE have also stepped up efforts to integrate mental health into mainstream healthcare services as part of wider national well-being strategies
