Dubai unveils master plan for the Nad Zabeel research campus in Zabeel Park

The five-year project will bring together universities, technology companies, investors and government entities; more than 30,000 scientists and entrepreneurs are expected to take part in its programmes annually. The launch supports the D33 economic agenda and the RDI ecosystem.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 1 November 2026 at 20:092 min read

The key facts

The Nad Zabeel campus will be built in Zabeel Park over five years
More than 30,000 scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs annually — expected participation in programmes
The project is embedded in the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the RDI ecosystem created in December 2025

A new centre for research and innovation

Dubai has unveiled the master plan for Nad Zabeel, a future campus for research, development and innovation to be built in Zabeel Park over five years. The announcement was made on Sunday in the presence of the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid; the project was launched by the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, who chairs the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (The National).

What will be located on the campus

The concept is for Nad Zabeel to bring together universities, technology companies, investors and government entities under one roof. It will feature laboratories, scientific and research centres, incubators, as well as leisure facilities and venues for scientific and professional events. The campus will serve as a base for bodies drafting future legislation, promising startups, and local and international investment companies. More than 30,000 scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs are expected to take part in the campus's programmes and events every year. The name references the Arabic word 'nad', meaning an elevated area, which, according to the organisers, reflects Dubai's ambitions in science and innovation.

Its place in the broader strategy

The launch of Nad Zabeel is tied to the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), a programme of 100 projects aimed at doubling Dubai's economy by 2033 and placing the city among the world's top three business centres. The campus will become the core of the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) ecosystem, established on Sheikh Hamdan's orders in December 2025 under the management of the Dubai Future Foundation. Sheikh Hamdan described the project as a continuation of the 'ecosystem of the future', which includes the Museum of the Future, the Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Future Accelerators, Dubai Future Labs and the Dubai Future Academy, and stressed that 'shaping the future in Dubai is not a slogan or a temporary project, but a comprehensive institutional system'.