Stantec was selected to lead the design team 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 603,000-sf facility 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. The fundraising goal for the project is nearly $330 million.
Featuring 19 gardens, green space will be placed throughout the hospital campus, creating a healing space for patients and their families. The hospital will follow a transformative shift in care delivery, moving from a traditional inpatient care model to an ambulatory model. 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 from early diagnosis to treatment and supportive care. 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.
“Our design draws inspiration from the Ghaf tree, the UAE’s national tree and a symbol of life, peace, and tolerance,” said David Martin, global design director for Stantec. “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. 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.”
The new hospital will draw in natural daylight while integrating direct contact with nature. 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.
Owner and/or developer: Dubai Health
Design architect: Stantec
Architect of record: POE
MEP engineer: Stantec
Structural engineer: Stantec
General contractor/construction manager: TBD
![Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubai, design by Stantec](/sites/default/files/inline-images/hamdan-bin-rashid-cancer-hospital-3.jpg)
![Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubai, design by Stantec](/sites/default/files/inline-images/hamdan-bin-rashid-cancer-hospital-2.jpg)
![Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital, Dubai, design by Stantec](/sites/default/files/inline-images/hamdan-bin-rashid-cancer-hospital-4.jpg)
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 7, 2022
Visibility breeds traffic in healthcare design
Ryan Companies has completed several healthcare projects that gain exposure by being near retail stores or office buildings.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 25, 2022
Health group converts bank building to drive-thru clinic
Edward-Elmhurst Health and JTS Architects had to get creative when turning an American Chartered Bank into a drive-thru clinic for outpatient testing and vaccinations.
Projects | Mar 21, 2022
BIG-designed Danish Neuroscience Center will combine groundbreaking science and treatment
A first-of-its-kind facility, a new Danish Neuroscience Center in Aarhus, Denmark designed by BIG, will combine psychiatry and neuroscience under one roof.
Projects | Mar 18, 2022
Toronto suburb to build the largest hospital in Canada
A new hospital in Ontario will nearly triple the care capacity of its existing facility—becoming the largest hospital in Canada.
Projects | Mar 15, 2022
Old Sears store will become one of the largest orthopaedics outpatient facilities in the Northeast
A former Sears store in Rochester, N.Y., will be transformed into one of the largest orthopaedics outpatient facilities in the Northeast.
Projects | Mar 10, 2022
Optometrist office takes new approach to ‘doc-in-a-box’ design
In recent decades, franchises have taken over the optometry services and optical sales market. This trend has spawned a commodity-type approach to design of office and retail sales space.
Industry Research | Mar 2, 2022
31 percent of telehealth visits result in a physical office visit
With little choice but to adopt virtual care options due to pandemic restrictions and interactions, telehealth adoption soared as patients sought convenience and more efficient care options.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 15, 2022
New outpatient ophthalmology surgical center opens in Newington, N.H.
JSA Design designed the project.
Resiliency | Feb 15, 2022
Design strategies for resilient buildings
LEO A DALY's National Director of Engineering Kim Cowman takes a building-level look at resilient design.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 10, 2022
Respite for the weary healthcare worker
The pandemic has shined a light on the severe occupational stress facing healthcare workers. Creating restorative hospital environments can ease their feelings of anxiety and burnout while improving their ability to care for patients.