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.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 2026: In a city defined by fast-paced lifestyles and high performance, more Dubai residents are no longer waiting to get sick before taking action. Instead, there is a growing shift towards preventative, personalised healthcare, focused on understanding the body early and addressing issues before they escalate.

From chronic fatigue and hormonal imbalance to skin concerns and low immunity, many of today’s most common health concerns are driven by lifestyle, stress, and underlying imbalances rather than acute illness. Traditional, reactive models often address symptoms at a later stage, something an increasing number of patients are now moving away from in favour of more preventative, insight-led care.

According to research conducted by independent research firm Censuswide in 2025, 92% of UAE residents now consider taking control of their health a top personal priority. For many, this reflects something deeper than a lifestyle trend. It speaks to a growing awareness that the body rarely announces its imbalances loudly, and that waiting for symptoms to appear is no longer a strategy that sits comfortably with how people in the city choose to live.

At the centre of this shift is Sequoia Clinic, a Dubai-based wellness and longevity clinic reflecting a broader evolution in how healthcare is approached in the region. Positioned between clinical medicine and premium wellness, the clinic offers a more considered model of care built around prevention, personalisation, and long-term outcomes.

Central to this is the Sequoia Assessment, a two-part consultation designed to move beyond traditional, transactional healthcare. Combining in-depth clinical evaluation with advanced diagnostics, the process builds a clear, personalised picture of each patient before treatment begins.

The first consultation explores medical history, lifestyle, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity, forming the foundation for targeted testing. This may include both conventional laboratory analysis and more advanced assessments such as hormone profiling, gut health analysis, and genetic and epigenetic testing. Once results are available, a second consultation translates this data into clear, actionable guidance, with customised recommendations across lifestyle, nutrition, and stress, alongside a tailored treatment plan.

“Across the region, we are seeing a clear shift away from reactive healthcare,” says Anna Wibage, CEO of Sequoia Clinic. “Patients want to understand what is happening in their body, why it is happening, and how to address it in a way that is sustainable over time.”

Supporting this model is an integrated approach that combines in-clinic care with flexible at-home services. Designed for time-poor, high-performance individuals, the clinic offers IV therapy, intramuscular injections, personalised facials, and teleconsultations at home, providing a discreet and convenient way to access care without compromising on quality.

This holistic philosophy also extends to aesthetic treatments, where skin concerns are assessed in the context of internal health, reflecting a growing shift towards results that are not only visible, but supported from within.

As Dubai continues to evolve as a global hub for high-performance living, this shift towards preventative, personalised healthcare is becoming increasingly relevant. For many residents, health is no longer something to manage reactively, but something to optimise continuously.

With its focus on depth, data, and long-term outcomes, Sequoia Clinic represents a new direction in how healthcare is experienced in the region, one that prioritises understanding before treatment, and prevention over reaction.For further information or to arrange a visit, please contact Sequoia Clinic via WhatsApp on 050 464 8513 or by landline on 04 267 4497. Full details are available at sequoiaclinic.ae