Stantec selected to design first comprehensive cancer hospital in Dubai

The Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital will elevate the standard of cancer care in Dubai with accessible and specialized multidisciplinary care

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected to provide design services for the Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubai’s first integrated, comprehensive cancer hospital. Named in honor of the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the hospital is scheduled to open to patients in 2026.

The Al Jalila Foundation, which leads the giving mission of Dubai Health, is receiving donations of approximately AED 1.2 billion to be invested in developing the Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital.

The 603,000-square-foot hospital will house 50 clinics, 30 clinical trial areas, 60 infusion rooms, 10 urgent care rooms, 5 radiotherapy rooms, and 116 inpatient beds to meet current and future levels of demand. Featuring 19 gardens, green space will be placed throughout the hospital campus, creating a healing space for patients and their families.

Creating wellness and sustainability

Focused on creating a healthy space, the hospital will be designed to LEED^® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards from the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizing best-in-class building strategies and practices in sustainability. The design will also meet requirements for WELL Building Standards, developed by the International WELL Building Institute.

Transforming cancer care in Dubai

Stantec is supporting the hospital’s transformative shift in care delivery, moving from a traditional inpatient model to an ambulatory model of care. This includes integrating primary care with diagnosis and treatment to offer detection and intervention at earlier stages of the patient’s journey.

As part of Dubai Health, the first integrated academic health system in Dubai, the comprehensive cancer hospital will benefit from a multidisciplinary team, including specialized nursing, offering patients a full spectrum of care services in one location, from early diagnosis to treatment and supportive care. Aligning with Dubai Health’s Patient First promise, select treatments and services will be made available to patients in the comfort of their homes, ensuring an easy and accessible continuum of care. 

Research and clinical trials will be at the heart of the hospital, fostering opportunities for discovering the best patient outcomes through personalized, patient-centric, evidence-based care.

Inspired design for the community

“Our design draws inspiration from the Ghaf tree, the UAE’s national tree and a symbol of life, peace, and tolerance. The tree often possesses a twisted geometry, reflected in how the new cancer hospital is composed—lower and raised blocks, gently twisted, and including a large court as a center of gravity and focal point,” said David Martin, global design director for Stantec. “A small grove of Ghaf trees in the square will provide a memorable sense of place and symbolize the rich contribution Hamdan Bin Rashid has made to the health of the community.”

Reflecting the center of life, the new cancer hospital will draw in natural daylight while integrating direct contact with nature for the entire community. The hospital and future phased campus development are centered around promoting the new Hamdan Bin Rashid Square as the heart of a new mini campus, which reduces the institutional feel and destigmatizes the patient experience.

Improving health through design

Stantec is consistently ranked among the top five design firms in the health space by Modern Healthcare, Commercial Construction & Renovation, and Building Design & Construction. A fully integrated practice, its subject matter experts are consistently advancing design for oncology inclusive of particle therapy, neurology and behavioral health, ambulatory care, academic medical centers, preventive care, as well as the most acute care settings.

Recent projects designed by Stantec include the Alfred J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Center in Calgary, AB; MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center Expansion in Houston, TX; New York Proton Center in New York, NY; Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center in Washington, DC; Inova Schar Institute Proton Center in Fairfax, VA;; Proton International at University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL; and Hefei Ion Medical Center in Hefei, China. 

Stantec draws on its global expertise to deliver progressive care environments that improve patient outcomes and attract top talent. Learn more about how Stantec is improving health worldwide through the power of design.