Abu Dhabi, June 2026: PureHealth, through its Greek subsidiary, has announced the launch University of Nicosia (UNIC) campus in Athens. The university introduces a next-generation model of healthcare education, embedding artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital health into core clinical training to develop a workforce equipped to operate in integrated, technology-enabled healthcare systems.
The inauguration ceremony of UNIC Athens was attended by senior government and institutional leadership, underscoring the strategic significance of the initiative at a national and regional level. Attendees included His Excellency Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports of the Hellenic Republic, and Athina Michaelidou, Minister of Education, Sport and Youth of the Republic of Cyprus.
The ceremony was also attended by His Excellency Dr Ali Obaid Ali Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the UAE to the Hellenic Republic, Shaista Asif, Group CEO of PureHealth, Panagiotis Skandalakis, President of the Council of UNIC Athens, Philippos Pouyioutas, Rector of the University of Nicosia, and Antonis Polemitis, CEO of University of Nicosia and Chairman of the Board of Directors at UNIC Athens, alongside other senior members of PureHealth Group, government stakeholders, and leaders across the education and healthcare sectors.
The university is a direct extension of PureHealth’s global strategy to integrate care delivery, research and education within a single operating model. Drawing on its international clinical network and scale across multiple markets, PureHealth is actively shaping a new approach to medical education that reflects how modern healthcare systems are designed and delivered. This enables the transfer of expertise, clinical standards and operational capabilities from UAE, Cyprus, and Greece, supporting the continued advancement of its healthcare ecosystem.
His Excellency Dr. Al Dhaheri said: “The establishment of this medical university demonstrates the strength of the strategic partnership between the UAE and the Hellenic Republic, and our shared commitment to advancing innovation in vital sectors such as healthcare and education. The initiative also represents a forward-looking investment in fostering talent, knowledge exchange, and achieving sustainable development.”
Shaista Asif said: “Healthcare is entering a new phase, where clinical practice, data and technology are becoming increasingly interconnected. This requires a fundamental shift in how we develop talent. This university reflects our strategy to invest in the long-term foundations of healthcare, strengthening our ability to develop tech enabled talent, advance research and integrate education more closely with care delivery. As we expand across Europe amid a growing shortage of healthcare professionals, this allows us to build scale, develop talent across markets and ensure greater consistency in clinical standards across our network, while unlocking operational efficiencies.”
Sofia Zacharaki said: This marks an important milestone for the future of higher education in Greece. It reflects a broader national effort to strengthen the international outlook, quality and competitiveness of the Greek education system. Through a robust and transparent framework, we are enabling internationally recognised institutions to establish a meaningful presence in our country, reinforcing Greece’s position as an emerging hub for academic excellence, innovation and knowledge exchange in the wider region.”
Panagiotis Skandalakis said: “Our ambition is to set a new standard for how medicine is taught. By embedding artificial intelligence into the core of the curriculum and integrating learning across both clinical and real-world environments, we are preparing doctors to operate in healthcare systems where data, technology and clinical practice are fully connected.”
The launch builds on the growing strategic partnership between the UAE and Greece, following the UAE-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2020 and reflecting deepening collaboration across investment, innovation and key sectors including healthcare and education. It also aligns with the UAE’s broader national priorities, including We the UAE 2031 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which emphasise the development of advanced healthcare systems, global partnerships and future-ready talent.
The university is designed to address two critical challenges shaping the future of healthcare in Europe: the growing shortage of healthcare professionals across Europe, which is expected to face a shortfall of up to one million workers by 2030, and the accelerating transformation of healthcare driven by artificial intelligence and data. As PureHealth expands its European footprint through both organic and inorganic growth, the institution serves as a core pillar in building workforce capacity at scale, linking education, clinical practice and research to support long-term system sustainability and the evolving demands of modern care.
Students will be trained within an integrated environment where research, technology and clinical practice are closely aligned, with exposure to real-world ‘living lab’ environments. Students will also benefit from access to PureHealth’s clinical infrastructure in Greece, which serves more than 1.3 million patients annually, providing hands-on clinical training opportunities within an established healthcare network.
The university will also establish talent exchange programmes with leading institutions in the UAE, enabling knowledge transfer and creating mobility pathways for students and healthcare professionals across key markets.
About PureHealth:
PureHealth is the largest healthcare group in the Middle East with an ecosystem that challenges lifespans and reimagines health spans. With 110+ hospitals, 316+ clinics, multiple diagnostic centres, health insurance solutions, pharmacies, health tech, procurement, investments and more, its groundbreaking innovations are at the forefront of healthcare as the company is on a mission to unlock time for humankind. By advancing the Science of Longevity, PureHealth is introducing the healthcare of the future from the United Arab Emirates to the rest of the world.
PureHealth’s network comprises:
- SEHA – One of the largest healthcare networks of hospitals and clinics in the UAE
- SEHA CLINICS – Delivering comprehensive community-based healthcare services
- Daman (The National Insurance Company) – The UAE’s leading health insurer
- The Medical Office – Overseeing Sheikh Khalifa Hospitals and healthcare facilities established under the initiatives of H.H. The President of the UAE
- Rafed – The UAE’s largest healthcare Group Purchasing Organisation
- PureLab – Managing and operating the largest network of laboratories in the region
- One Health – A network that provides end-to-end medical solutions to a base of over 300 healthcare service providers
- The Life Corner – Abu Dhabi’s first holistic pharmacy, serving the health and wellness establishment
- Ardent Health Services – The fourth largest privately held acute care hospital operator in the US
- Circle Health Group – The largest independent operators of hospitals in the UK
- Hellenic Healthcare Group (HHG) – The largest private healthcare provider in Greece and Cyprus
- PureCS – A leading cloud and technology services provider, specialising in IT management and consulting solutions, cybersecurity, cloud services and AI information systems
- Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) – The UAE’s largest healthcare complex, delivering integrated complex care
