Dubai-listed investment company Amanat Holdings is preparing to deploy around AED 1.5 billion over the next three years, betting on healthcare and education as long-term growth sectors across the UAE and wider GCC.
The company’s strategy follows a strong first half of 2026, with revenue rising 24% year-on-year to AED 582.5 million and EBITDA increasing 30% to AED 226.4 million. Net profit climbed 46% to AED 153.3 million. Amanat CEO John Ireland said the performance remained resilient despite regional geopolitical uncertainty.
Amanat observed healthcare as one of the strongest opportunities in the region, particularly in post-acute care, rehabilitation and long-term care. According to the company, there is still a shortage of specialized services, creating room for further expansion.
Its healthcare platform, Cambridge Health Group, has been increasing capacity in Saudi Arabia. Cambridge Hospital Jeddah was expanded from 200 to 270 beds. Amanat is also developing a 155-bed integrated post-acute healthcare facility in Riyadh. The company is targeting more than 1,000 operational beds over the medium term.
Cambridge's revenue rose 28% to AED 235.3 million in the first half, while EBITDA jumped 58% to AED 62.4 million.
Education is the other major pillar of Amanat's strategy. Its portfolio includes Middlesex University Dubai, NEMA and specialist education businesses. The education division generated AED 347.2 million in revenue in H1 2026, up 22% from a year earlier. EBITDA increased 33% to AED 179.9 million, while student and beneficiary numbers rose 21% to around 28,900.
Amanat believes Dubai's position as an international education hub, combined with demand for specialist and special-needs education, provides room for further expansion.
“We see both in healthcare and education that the medium- and long-term fundamentals are strong. We're in resilient sectors as well. So, education and healthcare are known globally for being resilient, and I think that’s what we've seen coming through in the results,” John Ireland said.
Of the planned AED 1.5 billion investment, around AED 900 million has been earmarked for acquisitions, while AED 500 million to AED 600 million is intended for greenfield developments, capacity expansion and new services. More than AED 500 million had already been deployed or committed by the end of the first half.
Amanat is also looking at areas such as mental health, intermediary care and complex dementia care, although future acquisitions are expected to remain selective.
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Technology is another part of the company's growth strategy. Amanat has seen opportunities to use digital tools and AI to improve healthcare workflows, patient records, and predictive care. In specialist education, technology can help monitor student outcomes and tailor services.
The company is targeting a return on equity of at least 10% while maintaining shareholder returns through a new dividend policy. For Amanat, the next three years will therefore be about scaling two sectors where it sees strong structural demand and turning that demand into sustainable GCC growth.