Dr Zulekha Daud

Dr Zulekha Daud founded the Zulekha Healthcare Group, which includes two multidisciplinary hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah, four UAE medical centres, and three pharmacies. She moved to the UAE in 1964, becoming the first female Indian doctor to practise in the country. In the mid-1960s, she treated the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The group’s facilities treat over 550,000 people annually, making it one of the largest private healthcare providers in the UAE.

In 2020, Zulekha Hospital was re-accredited by the Joint Commission International. Dr Daud has delivered over 10,000 babies over her 56-year career and serves as the chairperson of the group, which also includes a hospital in her hometown of Nagpur, India.