ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

PureHealth has marked a significant milestone in the development of Abu Dhabi’s first dedicated women’s and children’s medical city with the groundbreaking ceremony for the SEHA New Corniche Hospital for women and newborns, where construction is already underway.

The SEHA New Corniche Hospital will be a core component of the specialised medical city dedicated to women and children’s health, which also includes Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, where plans are underway to establish a Centre of Excellence in paediatric care, as well as a dedicated rehabilitation facility and a specialised mental health centre for women and children.

The milestone aligns with the directives approved in 2024 by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, to establish a specialised medical city dedicated to women’s and children’s health.

The event was attended by Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Shaista Asif, Group Chief Executive Officer of PureHealth, Rashed Saif Al Qubaisi, Group Chief Operating Officer of PureHealth, Saeed Jeber Al Kuwaiti, Group Chief Executive Officer of SEHA, Asma Ali Al Halaseh, Chief Executive Officer of SEHA Corniche Hospital, along with other senior leaders, reaffirming the emirate’s commitment to building world-class healthcare services for mothers, newborns and children.

Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the DoH, said: “In Abu Dhabi, we remain committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of every woman and child, the backbone of our community and the anchor of our nation’s future. As we prepare for the Year of Family, this milestone holds even greater meaning, underscoring our dedication to empowering and nurturing families through specialised, world-class healthcare.

"Today, our strategic partners at PureHealth build on their longstanding legacy by laying the foundation for the SEHA New Corniche Hospital, a pivotal step that elevates care and further reinforces Abu Dhabi's position as a leading destination for healthcare globally.”

The medical city will provide more than 35 paediatric subspecialties, from oncology and transplant medicine to diabetes, allergy and immunology, neurorehabilitation, and behavioural sciences, making Abu Dhabi the Middle East’s most advanced integrated destination for women and children’s care.

Shaista Asif, Group Chief Executive Officer of PureHealth, said: “This marks an important step in carrying forward a legacy that has supported families in Abu Dhabi for nearly five decades. The SEHA New Corniche Hospital has been designed to reflect the needs of mothers and newborns, ensuring care that is compassionate and centred around families. PureHealth is proud to help build an environment that will continue to serve our community for generations to come and strengthen Abu Dhabi’s global leadership in healthcare."

Saeed Jaber Al Kuwaiti, Group Chief Executive Officer of SEHA, said: “For nearly five decades, Corniche Hospital has been at the heart of family life in Abu Dhabi. This new chapter ensures mothers and newborns receive the highest level of care in an environment designed entirely around their needs. Together with Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and Salma Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, The SEHA New Corniche Hospital reflects our commitment to excellence and to positioning Abu Dhabi at the forefront of women’s and newborns’ healthcare.”

Since 1977, the existing Corniche Hospital facility has recorded more than 300,000 births, with one in three babies in the emirate delivered there, making it the UAE’s leading maternity hospital by volume and legacy. It houses the UAE’s largest and most advanced Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), admitting nearly half of Abu Dhabi’s NICU patients, and has pioneered dedicated adolescent and autism pathways through its Behavioural Sciences Pavilion.

The new hospital will extend this legacy with a purpose-built environment that combines advanced clinical capabilities with compassionate, culturally attuned, and family-centred care. Rafed, PureHealth’s healthcare procurement and infrastructure arm, has been appointed to deliver the new facility.

The SEHA New Corniche Hospital will feature 357 beds across 108,000 square metres spanning nine floors. Facilities include a 25-bed antenatal unit with six induction rooms, 11 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, two ICU isolation rooms, 34 neonatal intensive care unit beds, 80 special care baby units, 148 postpartum and gynaecology rooms, plus four dedicated isolation rooms, 44 VIP suites, and three royal suites.

The medical city embodies a holistic continuum of care – supporting women from preconception and pregnancy through neonatal, paediatric and adolescent stages – offering families a trusted destination throughout life. It reaffirms Abu Dhabi’s role as a leader in world-class healthcare and strengthens national goals for population health, women’s empowerment and family well-being.