Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

What Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences does

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) is a private medical and health sciences university founded in 2014 and operating as the learning and discovery arm of Dubai Health, Dubai's first integrated academic health system. The institution delivers education across three colleges — the College of Medicine, Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine, and Hind Bint Maktoum College of Nursing and Midwifery — offering ten accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs including a 6-year Doctor of Medicine, a 4-year Graduate Entry MD, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, five Master of Science dental specialties, MSc and PhD programs in Biomedical Sciences, MSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, and four postgraduate nursing clinical specialties. Beyond degree programs, MBRU runs a Graduate Medical Education division with 20 residency specialties (489 residents), 17 fellowship subspecialties (67 fellows), medical and dental internships, clinical attachments, continuous professional development, and AHA-certified simulation training.

The university derives revenue from tuition (with substantial scholarship subsidy — many residency and fellowship programs are free while paid programs like the dental internship charge AED 65,000 annually), corporate and individual donations (including a AED 1 million endowment gift from Sharafi Holding), and research grants (such as a AED 1 million diabetes personalized care grant). Distribution is direct-to-student through online application portals, with clinical training delivered through embedded access to Dubai Health's network of 6 hospitals, 26 ambulatory health centers, and 21 medical fitness centers. The institution operates specialized facilities including the Center for Applied and Translational Genomics (with OMICs capabilities including nanopore and digital PCR sequencing), Dubai's largest Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center (30,000 sq ft, first UAE center fully recognized by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare), a Surgical Skills Laboratory accredited by the American College of Surgeons, and a Digital Learning Lab. Research output totals 1,688 indexed publications over 9 years and 2,362 peer-reviewed papers since 2016, including a Nature Medicine cover feature in 2026 and the First Arab Pangenome Reference in 2025. Governance rests with a Board of Directors chaired by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, with the university funded through a mix of tuition, government support via Dubai Health, donor contributions, and research grants.

Name

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Legal name

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Website

https://mbru.ac.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) is a Dubai-based medical university within Dubai Health, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate medical education programs across medicine, dentistry, nursing, and biomedical sciences to a student body of 28 nationalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC), Healthcare & Life Sciences (EDAAAPAA)

Keywords

• Medical education
• Health professions training
• Graduate medical education
• Biomedical research
• Healthcare simulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: The university generates revenue through tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate programs, clinical attachment fees, and graduate medical education program fees. Some programs such as residency and fellowship are free of charge while others such as dental internship charge tuition.
2. Endowment and Donations: The university receives donations and endowment contributions from supporters and partners including Sharafi Holding (AED 1 million donation), Al Waleed Real Estate, and other corporate and governmental entities.
3. Research Grants and Funding: The university conducts research funded by grants including the AED 1 million grant for diabetes personalized patient care research awarded to MBRU research team and clinicians.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MBRU delivers higher education in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and biomedical sciences through undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate medical education programs (residency, fellowship, and internship). It also operates graduate medical training across 20 specialties and 17 subspecialties, clinical attachments, continuous professional development courses, and research services via the Center for Applied and Translational Genomics and the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center.

Product overview

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) is a medical university within Dubai Health, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and healthcare training services. The institution provides undergraduate degrees (Doctor of Medicine 6-year, Graduate Entry MD 4-year, Bachelor of Science in Nursing), postgraduate programs (MSc and PhD in Biomedical Sciences, MSc in Health Professions Education, dental specialties including Endodontics, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, and Prosthodontics, and nursing specialties in Cardiovascular, Critical Care, Emergency, and Pediatric care), Graduate Medical Education including medical and dental internships (80 and 24 seats respectively), 20 residency programs across medical and surgical specialties, and 17 fellowship subspecialty programs. The university also offers clinical attachment programs (2-12 weeks), continuous professional development, and operates major research facilities including the Center for Applied and Translational Genomics and Dubai's largest Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center. Additional services include Healthcare Simulation training with AHA certifications and Digital Learning Solutions through the A4L Digital Learning Lab.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) – 6 Years Six-year undergraduate-entry medical degree program offering comprehensive medical education with clinical training at Dubai Health facilities.
• Graduate Entry Doctor of Medicine – 4 Years Four-year graduate-entry medical degree program for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing Undergraduate nursing degree program offered through Hind Bint Maktoum College of Nursing and Midwifery.
• Master of Science in Endodontics Three-year full-time postgraduate program in endodontics offered through Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine.
• Master of Science in Orthodontics Postgraduate orthodontic specialty program through Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine.
• Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry Postgraduate pediatric dental specialty program through Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine.
• Master of Science in Periodontology Postgraduate periodontology specialty program through Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine.
• Master of Science in Prosthodontics Postgraduate prosthodontics specialty program through Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine.
• Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Two-year on-campus postgraduate research program in biomedical sciences with a 50% scholarship available.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences Four-year full-time PhD program in biomedical sciences with 100% scholarship for limited number of students.
• Master of Science in Health Professions Education (MScHPE) Two-year full-time/blended postgraduate program in health professions education, accredited by UAE Ministry of Education and recognized by UK's Academy of Medical Educators.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education (PGDipHPE) One-year full-time/blended postgraduate diploma in health professions education.
• Cardiovascular Nursing Clinical Specialty One to two-year blended postgraduate nursing program in cardiovascular nursing.
• Critical Care Nursing Clinical Specialty Postgraduate nursing program in critical care nursing.
• Emergency Care Nursing Clinical Specialty Postgraduate nursing program in emergency care nursing.
• Pediatric Nursing Postgraduate nursing program in pediatric nursing.
• Medical Internship Program One-year medical internship program with 80 intake capacity providing foundational clinical experience.
• Dental Internship Program One-year dental internship program with 24 intake capacity.
• Residency Programs (20 specialties) Accredited residency training programs across 20 medical and surgical specialties including Internal Medicine (16 seats), Pediatrics (15), Family Medicine (12), Emergency Medicine (11), OB/GYN (8), and others, built on CanMEDS/ACGME competency-based principles.
• Fellowship Programs (17 specialties) Post-residency subspecialty training programs including Adult Cardiology (3 seats), Neonatology (2), Vascular Neurology (2), and Pediatric subspecialties, preparing physicians for leadership roles in healthcare.
• Clinical Attachment Program Two to twelve week clinical training program offering observation or hands-on experiences at Dubai Health facilities for healthcare providers, doctors with practice gaps, and university students.
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Professional development offerings including consolidation of postgraduate training and continuing professional development courses through MBRU Learn platform.
• Healthcare Simulation Training and Certifications American Heart Association International Training Center offering BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP, ATLS, ATCN, and other certifications; simulation-based training across medicine, nursing, midwifery, dentistry, and allied health.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,688 indexed publications in 9 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dubai Health Authority (DHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Dubai Health, represented by MBRU, signed a Memorandum of Understanding at World Health Expo Dubai 2026. DHA will cover tuition fees for Emirati students enrolled in bachelor's and master's degree programmes across various medical specializations at MBRU, including programmes at the Hind Bint Maktoum College of Nursing and Midwifery. The partnership aims to develop national healthcare talent capable of achieving the strategic goals of Dubai's health system.
• UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024UNESCO Future Designer International Innovation Design Awards (IIDA) honored students from 24 countries including MBRU for projects addressing global challenges. Winning projects included AI translation for healthcare, demonstrating international recognition of student innovation.
• Al Jalila Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2016Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai established a three-party agreement with Al Jalila Children's Hospital and MBRU to expand organ transplant services. The program performed the first deceased donor kidney transplant in Dubai in June 2016 and reports a 100% graft survival rate with all post-transplant patients maintaining excellent renal function.
• GE HealthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDubai Health and GE HealthCare signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on enhancing Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) practices and education in the MENA region. The partnership aims to advance POCUS education and clinical practice through technology and expertise collaboration.
• DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDubai Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DNDi, a non-profit research and development organization, at World Health Expo Dubai (WHX). The agreement aims to advance research and training in neglected diseases, combining Dubai Health's clinical capabilities with DNDi's expertise in developing treatments for neglected diseases.
• MediclinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediclinic is listed as a supporter of MBRU and collaborates on organ transplant services. The partnership supports healthcare advancement and education initiatives.
• RCSI University of Medicine and Health SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMC Healthcare announced strategic collaboration with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences to provide employees with professional development training in digital health, healthcare leadership, and innovation. This is an indirect partnership through NMC's network.
• Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health DeliveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard Medical School Center for Global Health Delivery is listed as a supporter of MBRU, indicating collaborative relationship in global health education and research.
• Saudi Commission for Health SpecialtiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCFHS is listed as a supporter and partner, with MBRU having received full Institutional accreditation from SCFHS recognizing the university among top health institutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alfaisal University: Private Saudi medical university in Riyadh offering MD and graduate programs in partnership with international institutions. Comparable as a Gulf-based private medical school with strong research orientation and similar tuition-funded operating model.
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Bahrain: International branch campus of RCSI in Bahrain offering medicine and nursing programs. Comparable to MBRU as a Gulf-based international medical school with similar government backing and international accreditation pathway.
• Ajman University - College of Medicine: UAE-based private university offering medical, dental, and pharmacy programs. Direct regional competitor for medical students in the UAE market with similar private operating model and tuition-based revenue structure.
• Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar: Government-backed branch campus of an Ivy League medical school in Doha, Qatar, established in 2001. Highly comparable to MBRU as a Gulf-based medical school with international affiliation, government sponsorship, integrated research focus, and similar undergraduate medical program structure.
• University of Sharjah - College of Medicine: UAE-based comprehensive university with a College of Medicine offering MD and residency programs. Direct regional competitor in medical education, with longer operating history and broader program portfolio across multiple health science disciplines.
• Gulf Medical University: Private medical university in Ajman, UAE, established in 1998, offering MD, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy programs. Most direct UAE-based peer to MBRU with comparable program portfolio and private operating model, though larger and more established.
• King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences: Saudi government-affiliated medical university with multiple campuses and integrated academic health system model. Highly comparable to MBRU as a state-affiliated medical school with similar integrated academic health system structure and broad program portfolio.
• RAK Medical and Health Sciences University: UAE-based medical university offering MBBS, BDS, nursing, and pharmacy programs. Direct regional peer and competitor for medical students and faculty within the UAE, with similar private operating model.
• Khalifa University - College of Medicine and Health Sciences: UAE government-backed research-intensive university with emerging medical and health sciences programs. Comparable as a UAE government-affiliated medical school with strong research focus and similar funding stability.

Regional players

• Hamad Bin Khalifa University: Qatar Foundation-affiliated research university offering life sciences and biomedical graduate programs. Comparable as a Gulf-based government-backed graduate health sciences institution with strong research orientation, though broader in scope than medical education specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MBRUniversity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MBRU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbruniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/MBRUniversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences