Thumbay Moideen

Thumbay Moideen (born 23 March 1957) is an Indian businessman based in the United Arab Emirates. He is the founder and president of Thumbay Group, a Dubai-headquartered conglomerate with interests in healthcare, medical education, diagnostics, research, wellness, hospitality, media and real estate.

In 1997, Moideen became the first expatriate invited by the rulers of Ajman to establish a medical institution in the UAE, leading to the founding of Gulf Medical College, the country’s first private medical college, which later became Gulf Medical University. In 2024, he received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award , the second-highest civilian honour of the Indian state of Karnataka, and he has been listed among the top Indian business leaders in the Arab world by Forbes Middle East .

Early Life Moideen was born on 23 March 1957 in Mangalore, Karnataka, to Ahamed Hajee Mohiudeen and Bee Fathima Ahmed Hajee. He belongs to the Beary community of coastal Karnataka and is a third-generation entrepreneur ; his grandfather, Yenepoya Moideen Kunhi, and his father built a business house in Mangalore with interests in timber and trading. He studied at St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, and took over the family business at the age of 21 .

Career After leading the family’s businesses in India, Moideen expanded to the Persian Gulf in the late 1990s. In 1997, he was invited by the ruling family of Ajman to establish a private medical college in the emirate — the first such invitation extended to an expatriate in the UAE.

Thumbay Group

The university’s need for clinical training facilities led Moideen to build teaching hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, pharmacies and clinics, which formed the basis of Thumbay Group’s healthcare division. The group subsequently diversified into wellness, hospitality, publishing, media, technology, real estate and retail. Its flagship development is Thumbay Medicity in Ajman, an integrated campus combining the university, hospitals, research and wellness facilities .

In 2026, the group broke ground on three major projects. On 13 May 2026, it laid the foundation stone of the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City , a 120-bed facility described as the region’s first fully integrated private hospital for psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery; the ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, Chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority, and the hospital is expected to be operational by mid-2027 .

On 19 May 2026, Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, laid the foundation stone at Thumbay Medicity for the Thumbay Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Thumbay College of Veterinary Medicine, described as the UAE’s first private veterinary teaching hospital and college, to operate under Gulf Medical University.

In June 2026, the group laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay International Research Centre in Al Jurf, Ajman, under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Ajman . The six-storey facility will serve as the permanent base for Gulf Medical University’s research activities and house the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine.

Under its Vision 2028 strategy, the group has announced plans to expand Thumbay Healthcare into Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Gulf markets through franchising, alongside planned institutes including the Thumbay Institute of Autism .

Gulf Medical University

Gulf Medical College was established in Ajman in 1998 as the first private medical college in the UAE. It was upgraded to Gulf Medical University (GMU) in 2008 and has grown into one of the largest private medical universities in the region, enrolling students from more than 100 nationalities. Moideen serves as the university’s founder president .

The university operates its own network of teaching hospitals and funds research through the Thumbay International Research Grant, which awarded AED 3 million to 13 projects involving researchers from 26 countries in its 2026 edition .

Since 2017, GMU has operated the Thumbay International Pathway with the Medical University of Lublin, Poland, under which students complete three pre-clinical years in Ajman before transferring to Lublin for clinical training and an MD degree recognised across the European Union. The programme enrolled its tenth cohort in 2026 .

Thumbay Healthcare Thumbay University Hospital is the largest private academic hospital in the Middle East region, with 350 beds. Thumbay Chain of Hospitals is one of the largest healthcare providers in the region. The group focuses on three pillars Education, Healthcare and Research.

Recognition The Karnataka Government has honored Dr. Thumbay Moideen with the prestigious Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award for 2024. In October 2024, the Government of Karnataka named Moideen among the recipients of the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, the state’s second-highest civilian honour, for contributions to healthcare and medical education; the 69 awardees announced that year included former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily and sculptor Arun Yogiraj .

Moideen (right) receiving Forbes ME 'Top 100 Indian Leaders in the UAE' special award for his contribution in the field of healthcare from Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Government of India (left) and Dr. Nasser Bin Aqeel Al Tayyar, President of Arab Publisher House, UAE(centre)Moideen has been ranked among the “Top Indian Business Leaders in the Arab World” by Forbes Middle East for four consecutive years from 2014 to 2017 , appeared on the magazine’s cover in February 2016 and again in its healthcare issue of March 2018, and featured in Arabian Business magazine’s “50 Richest Indians in the GCC” from 2013 to 2016 . In 2018, he was ranked 59th on the Barclays Hurun India Rich List .

Other honours include the Vishwa Manya award from Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the Maharaja of Mysore (2022); the Gulf Karnataka Ratna Award (2023) ; the Global Leader award at the NDTV Gulf Indian Excellence Awards (2016) ; the Indian Innovator Award – Entrepreneur of the Year (2015) ; the Asian Leadership Award (2014) ; the Emirates Business Ambassador Award (2014) ; CEO of the Year (Education) from ITP Publishing Group (2012) ; honorary fellowship of the International Medical Sciences Academy ; recognition from Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman ; and the Eminent Aloysian Alumni Award (2016) from his alma mater . He was also honoured at the House of Lords, United Kingdom, for contributions to healthcare and medical education. He is the also most respected NRI billionaire in the Gulf . He is regarded as the richest and No. 1 NRI from Karnataka in the Gulf.

Honorary Doctorates Founder President of Thumbay Group, Thumbay Moideen, receiving the honorary doctorate from Founder President of Amity University - Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Chancellor - Dr. Atul Chauhan, Chairman of Amity PACIFIC Forum - Dr. Ajit Kumar Nagpal, and other officials.

Amity University Dubai for contributions to medical education, trade and industry on 20 November 2017 . Mangalore University, India on 42nd annual convocation on 15 June 2024 . Chitkara University, Chandigarh, India for Doctor of Literature (honoris causa) on 27 February 2025 . Fergana Medical Institute of Public Health, Uzbekistan for international healthcare collaboration early 2025 . Medical University of Lublin, Poland fifth honorary doctorate in June 2025 .

Other Roles Moideen is chief patron of the Ajman Indian Association, the Indian Business Council – Ajman, Bearys’ Association – Dubai, and Karnataka Sangha – Sharjah. He is president of the Asian Hospital Federation (UAE region), a member of the International Hospital Federation, and a member of the International Association of University Presidents. He has spoken at international forums including an IFC–World Bank conference on the education of health professionals in Washington, D.C. , the International Association of University Presidents conference in Tokyo, the Eurasian Universities Union conference in Istanbul , and the Higher Education Summit Asia in Singapore .

Philanthropy Moideen established the Thumbay Foundation, a charitable trust supporting healthcare and education through scholarships, grants, bursaries and endowments. He has funded the construction of mosques in India and the UAE, including the Mohiudeen Masjid in Thumbay village, Karnataka; the B. Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen Masjid in Mangalore; the Thumbay Moideen Masjid in Ajman ; and a Juma Masjid in Sharjah .

Personal Life Moideen is married to Zohra Moideen. They have two sons: Akbar Moideen Thumbay, vice president of Thumbay Group’s healthcare division, and Akram Moideen Thumbay, who heads the group’s construction and technology operations .