Nad Zabeel: Mohammed bin Rashid launches Dubai future research campus
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched Dubai's Future Research Campus under the name Nad Zabeel, saying that "the future is not awaited, it is made" and that the campus aims to attract 30,000 researchers and specialists to develop vital sectors linked to human life.
The project was launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The campus is located in Zabeel Park, within one kilometre of Burj Khalifa, Dubai International Financial Centre, the Museum of the Future, Emirates Towers and Dubai Frame.
Nad Zabeel will house laboratories, scientific and research centres and innovation incubators, focusing on artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced technology, urban technologies, and health and environmental technologies. It will provide one institutional platform bringing researchers, universities, technology companies, investors and government entities together. Construction and associated operations are expected to be completed within five years under the supervision of Dubai Future Foundation.
The campus supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which comprises 100 transformative projects and aims to double the size of Dubai's economy by 2033. It will also serve as an incubator for the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Ecosystem established in December 2025. The name comes from the Emirati word "nad", meaning elevated ground, reflecting the ambition to reach new heights in research and knowledge.
Al Majlis Analysis: What sets Nad Zabeel apart is that it completes a chain that began almost a decade ago with Dubai Future Foundation, the Museum of the Future and the future accelerators, but shifts the focus from anticipating the future to producing knowledge itself through permanent laboratories and research infrastructure. Choosing a site in the heart of the city, next to its financial and business centres, sends a clear message that research is meant to be part of the everyday economy rather than an isolated activity on the edge of town. The real test over the next five years will be turning the goal of attracting researchers into partnerships, patents and start-ups that can grow, the measure by which the project's contribution to D33 will be judged.