Al Zahra serves some 400,000 outpatients and 23,000 inpatients annually,[1] with a capacity of 137 beds.

The building was originally intended to be a hotel and construction started in March 1975 but was re-purposed in 1978, with Mumbai-based architects Karani and Sanghoi Associates instructed by the building's owner to redevelop it into a hospital.

[4] The hospital was acquired in March 2017[5] by Abu Dhabi-based NMC Healthcare for $560 million from previous owner Gulf Medical Projects Company,[1] which continues to own and operate Al Zahra Hospital, Dubai.

[7] In May 2018, the hospital signed an MoU with the Sharjah Health Authority to offer 30% discounts to elderly Emirati citizens.

[8] It also opened a cosmetic surgery facility that month, under the NMC-owned CosmeSurge brand.