UAE Healthcare Regulators Directory: Who Licenses What
Short answer: UAE healthcare regulators are split by emirate. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) regulates Dubai, including its free zones and Dubai Healthcare City. The Department of Health (DOH) regulates Abu Dhabi. The Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) licenses facilities and professionals in Sharjah. The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) licenses Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. Medicines and medical products sit with a separate federal body, the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE).
Last verified: October 2026 against Dubai Law No. 14 of 2021, the DOH, MOHAP, SHA, DHCC and EDE websites, MOHAP’s Riayati announcement, Malaffi and the UAE government portal u.ae. Mandates move between bodies, so confirm with the authority before you file anything.
Key Takeaways
- The regulator follows the location of the facility, not the nationality of the owner or the trade license issuer.
- Dubai Law No. 14 of 2021 made DHA the regulator for the whole emirate, including free zones, and DHA took over the regulatory duties of the Dubai Healthcare City Authority.
- Professional licenses are issued by the same authority that licenses the facility, but all four licensing authorities assess qualifications against one Unified PQR.
- Medical products and medicines are a federal matter handled by the Emirates Drug Establishment, separate from facility licensing.
- Each emirate has its own health information exchange: NABIDH in Dubai, Malaffi in Abu Dhabi and Riayati at national level.
The UAE Healthcare Regulators at a Glance
This table lists the bodies alphabetically. It answers the first question every clinic owner, investor or clinician asks: who do I deal with?
| Authority | Covers | What It Does for You |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH) | Emirate of Abu Dhabi | Regulates the health sector, inspects providers and sets scope of services, premiums and reimbursement rates |
| Dubai Health Authority (DHA) | Emirate of Dubai, including free zones | Licenses facilities and professionals through Sheryan, inspects them and sets health insurance policy |
| Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) | Dubai Healthcare City free zone | Issues the commercial license for businesses in the zone |
| Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) | Federal | Registers and approves medicines and medical products, oversees manufacturing and pharmacovigilance |
| Emirates Health Services (EHS) | Federal government facilities | Runs government hospitals and health centres; it is an operator, not your licensing authority |
| Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) | Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain | Licenses private facilities and the professionals who work in them, and runs Riayati |
| Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) | Emirate of Sharjah | Issues initial approvals and final licenses for facilities and assesses and licenses professionals |
How We Chose the Bodies in This Directory
We started from the laws and official websites, not from lists on other sites. A body is included if a law or its own website gives it a licensing, regulatory or approval role that a clinic, pharmacy, investor or healthcare professional in the UAE will meet in normal business. We included Emirates Health Services because people often confuse it with a regulator, and we say plainly that it is an operator.
We left out bodies whose role in healthcare is indirect, such as trade license issuers, Civil Defence and municipalities. They matter to a clinic project, but they do not license healthcare. We list entries alphabetically and do not rank or rate any authority. OzaniX Partners is independent and is not paid by any company or authority listed here. Our Licensing and Regulatory Advisory service files applications with these regulators for clients, and that is the only overlap.
Emirate Regulators: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
Dubai Health Authority
Dubai Law No. 14 of 2021 says DHA is the government entity in charge of regulating the health sector throughout the emirate, including special development zones and free zones. Its tasks include authorising establishments and individuals to practise, inspecting healthcare facilities and setting the policies for health insurance. From that law’s start date, DHA succeeded the Dubai Healthcare City Authority in those regulatory duties. In practice this is why a clinic in Dubai Healthcare City holds a commercial license from the zone authority and a health facility license from DHA. Facilities and professionals apply through Sheryan, and a facility cannot be activated without an EMR connected to NABIDH, Dubai’s health information exchange.
Department of Health Abu Dhabi
DOH describes itself as the regulative body of the healthcare sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It sets strategy, shapes the regulatory framework, inspects providers and enforces standards. It also regulates the scope of services, premiums and reimbursement rates, which is why Abu Dhabi tariffs and insurance rules come from DOH. Facility and professional services are delivered through TAMM.
Sharjah Health Authority
SHA lists its health regulation services on its own website: an initial approval to open a health facility, a final license after inspection and a health professional assessment based on qualifications and experience. SHA marks some of its services as still being implemented, so if you are buying or joining an existing facility in Sharjah, confirm with SHA which authority holds its licensing file before you rely on it.
Federal Bodies: MOHAP, EDE and EHS
MOHAP licenses private health facilities in the emirates without their own health authority. Its service pages cover the facility license, issued electronically after a final inspection, and the licensing of doctors, nurses and technicians. The facility applies on the professional’s behalf, and the professional needs a valid MOHAP evaluation and verified documents. MOHAP’s published license fees sit in the AED 3,000 range for doctors and the AED 1,000 range for nurses and technicians.
The Emirates Drug Establishment calls itself the only federal authority responsible for regulating all medical and pharmaceutical products. Its services include approving and registering medicines, drug manufacturing, testing, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance and inspection. If you import, distribute or manufacture medical products, this is the body that approves the product. The pharmacy premises itself is still licensed as a facility by the emirate regulator.
Emirates Health Services runs government hospitals and health centres. MOHAP describes Wareed as the EHS electronic medical record in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. EHS does not license private clinics, so a private operator does not apply to it.
Health Insurance and Health Data: Who Sets the Rules
Insurance rules also follow the emirate. The UAE government portal names the Dubai Health Insurance Corporation, part of DHA, as the entity that regulates health insurance in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, DOH regulates premiums and reimbursement rates. The portal also confirms that from 1 January 2025 employers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah must buy health insurance for private sector workers, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi already required.
| Platform | Owner | What It Means for a Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Malaffi | Abu Dhabi Health Data Services, part of the M42 group | Connects public and private providers in Abu Dhabi; Malaffi publishes which facilities are required to connect, so check it before you choose an EMR |
| NABIDH | DHA | A NABIDH compliant EMR is a condition for activating a DHA facility license |
| Riayati | MOHAP | The national unified medical record, launched with DHA, DOH and EHS and designed to exchange data with Malaffi, NABIDH and the EHS Wareed system |
Why the Right Regulator Matters Before You Sign
Most delays we see come from talking to the wrong authority first. A license from one regulator does not let a facility or a clinician work in another emirate. A group opening in Dubai and Sharjah runs two licensing files, two sets of professional licenses and two insurance contexts. Check four things before you sign a lease or an offer letter: which emirate the premises sit in, which regulator licenses that location, whether every clinician’s title meets the Unified PQR, and which health information exchange your EMR must connect to. Getting those four right is cheaper than any fix later.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Who are the healthcare regulators in the UAE?
The main UAE healthcare regulators are DHA in Dubai, DOH in Abu Dhabi, SHA in Sharjah and MOHAP for Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. The Emirates Drug Establishment regulates medicines and medical products at federal level.
Who licenses clinics in Dubai Healthcare City?
The zone authority issues the commercial license. Under Dubai Law No. 14 of 2021, DHA took over the regulatory duties of the Dubai Healthcare City Authority, and DHA issues the health facility license that lets you treat patients.
Can a DHA license be used in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah?
No. Each authority issues its own facility and professional licenses. The Unified PQR means the qualification rules are the same, but you still apply to the authority of the emirate where you will work.
Is Emirates Health Services a regulator?
No. EHS runs federal government hospitals and health centres. Private facilities in the Northern Emirates are licensed by MOHAP.
Who approves medicines and medical devices in the UAE?
The Emirates Drug Establishment. It describes itself as the only federal authority responsible for regulating all medical and pharmaceutical products, including registration of medicines and medical devices.
Where This Comes From.
- Dubai Law No. 14 of 2021 amending Law No. 6 of 2018 on the Dubai Health Authority (Dubai Legislation Portal)
- DHA Manual for Licensing Health Facility (version 1.1)
- Department of Health Abu Dhabi: About DoH
- Sharjah Health Authority: official website and health regulation services
- MOHAP: Issue a Health Facility License
- MOHAP: Licensing of a Doctor
- Dubai Healthcare City: Business FAQ
- Emirates Drug Establishment: official website
- MOHAP: Ministry of Health and local health authorities consolidate medical data in Riayati (7 Dec 2021)
- Malaffi: Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange
- u.ae: Getting a health insurance
- Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), DOH
How OzaniX Partners Can Help.
If you are planning a clinic, a second branch or a move into a new emirate, our Licensing and Regulatory Advisory team works out which of these UAE healthcare regulators you need, prepares the facility and professional files and keeps renewals on a calendar so nothing lapses. If your EMR still has to connect to NABIDH or Malaffi, our Technology and IT Support team can plan that with you.
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