UAE healthcare is regulated per emirate: Dubai is under the DHA; Abu Dhabi is under the DoH (formerly HAAD). Health insurance is mandatory for every resident, including foreigners.
Health insurance
- Usually provided by your employer (UAE labour law requires it).
- Family coverage (spouse, children) often requires separate enrollment. Check your contract.
- Basic plans favour public hospitals and designated clinics. Comprehensive plans give broader access to private hospitals.
- In-network vs out-of-network matters. Confirm before visiting.
Public vs private
- Public (DHA / SEHA / DoH networks) — serve Emiratis and basic insurance holders. English available, but long waits possible.
- Private — international patient focus. Major groups: American Hospital, Mediclinic, NMC, Aster, Saudi German, Zulekha.
Emergency numbers
- 999 — Police
- 998 — Ambulance · Fire (UAE standard)
- 997 — Fire (Dubai)
- 911 partially routed in some areas, but 998 is canonical
Bring your insurance card to any ER. For life-threatening situations, call 999 / 998 first.
Things to watch
- Prescription medications: some drugs are restricted (sedatives, strong painkillers, etc.). Verify before bringing them from home.
- Communicable disease screening: required for employment-visa processing (TB, HIV, etc.). Positive results trigger policy-based responses.
- Immunisation records: required for school enrollment.
Detailed guides still pending
- DHA / DoH coverage tier comparison
- Major private hospital network comparison
- Approved medications to bring from Korea
- Family health insurance enrollment procedure
This is an overview. Medical misinformation has real costs — we run no ads or referrals here. Corrections + experience: GitHub.