From Miami to the Middle East, Bascom Palmer sets its sights on going international.
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute—part of the University of Miami Health System (UHealth) and ranked the #1 eye hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for 24 consecutive years—is setting its sights beyond American shores. This November 2025, the Institute will open its first international facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Developed under the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) in collaboration with August Medical (Minnesota, USA), part of the SOZA Group (Abu Dhabi, UAE), the new center will bring UHealth’s hallmark of ophthalmic excellence, research and training programs to the Middle East.
“This is truly a remarkable milestone for the University of Miami Health System to deliver one of its crown jewels to another nation,” said UHealth CEO Dr. Dipen Parekh in a news release. “We are transplanting Bascom Palmer’s excellence across continents, expanding UHealth’s reach to serve more patients and train more physicians worldwide.”
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Her Excellency Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, DoH undersecretary, expressed pride in the partnership, calling it a key step in Abu Dhabi’s evolution as a hub for world-class health care.
“By hosting global institutions of this caliber, we continue to raise the bar for excellence in specialized care, ensuring our community has access to quality care and medical expertise close to home,” she said. “Abu Dhabi’s advanced infrastructure, progressive regulations and focus on innovation allow us to create an integrated ecosystem that encourages collaboration, drives innovations and sets new standards for care delivery worldwide.”
Suhail Jaffar Al Zarouni, founder and CEO of August Medical and SOZA Group and chair of the Bascom Palmer – Abu Dhabi Board of Directors, added that the new institute will stand among “the finest medical institutions devoted to ophthalmology, not only in the country and the Gulf Cooperation Council but also in the larger Middle East and North Africa region.”
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Designed for excellence
Located in Mohammed Bin Zayed City, the 70,000-square-foot ambulatory care center was designed by Gresham Smith with a gemstone-inspired facade of faceted silver glass, symbolizing the precision and brilliance of vision. Inside, the facility mirrors Bascom Palmer’s U.S. standards for patient care, research and education.
Leadership and clinical services
Heading the new branch is Dr. David Tse, chief medical officer and global leader in oculoplastic surgery and ocular oncology, Dr. Tse pioneered intra-arterial chemotherapy for lacrimal gland malignancies and founded the Orbital Vision Research Center, known for groundbreaking work in orbital diseases, ocular oncology and whole-eye transplantation. With his leadership, Bascom Palmer Abu Dhabi aims to be the first of its kind in the region, providing patients with unparalleled expertise and advanced services and technologies not available elsewhere.
“Physicians and staff will offer the full spectrum of ophthalmic services for major eye diseases, including eyelid and orbital pathologies, retinal diseases, adult and pediatric glaucoma, ocular complications of diabetes, pediatric ophthalmology conditions, neuro-ophthalmic disorders, ocular cancers and inflammatory eye diseases such as uveitis,” said Dr. Nicola Ghazi, a vitreoretinal surgeon and the facility’s medical director.
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The facility includes 31 exam rooms, a refractive and laser suite, an ocular surface disease lab, 14 diagnostic lanes with advanced imaging and electrophysiology units, three state-of-the-art operating rooms equipped with high-precision surgery, and VIP facilities.
Additional services will include an optical department, pharmacy, ENT clinic and sleep center. An educational auditorium will support residency and fellowship training programs, reinforcing Bascom Palmer’s academic mission.
“We intend Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi to be one of the finest medical institutions devoted to ophthalmology, not only in the country and the Gulf Cooperation Council but also in the larger Middle East and North Africa region,” said Al Zarouni. “Given the breadth and depth of our understanding of the geographic and socio-cultural landscape, coupled with the University of Miami Health System’s dedication to clinical care, residency and fellowship programs and to vision research, it is my firm belief that we will be of great benefit to our patients, to future generations of doctors and to our communities”.
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Building a regional hub
For Dr. Eduardo Alfonso, director of Bascom Palmer and chair of ophthalmology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the Abu Dhabi expansion “cements Bascom Palmer’s place at the top of global ophthalmic care.”
With this collaboration, UHealth, August Medical and the DoH aim to establish Bascom Palmer Abu Dhabi as a regional hub for advanced ophthalmology—where U.S. expertise meets Middle Eastern innovation. The institute will serve as a bridge between continents, bringing world-class research, technology and training closer to practitioners and patients across the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.
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