The UAE has a rapidly developing private healthcare sector that delivers high quality care. The government aims to improve access through initiatives like mandatory health insurance and increasing domestic medical training programs to reduce reliance on foreign workers. However, shortages of nurses and doctors remain an issue due to a lack of Emirati interest in medical professions. The government is taking steps like increasing pay to attract more UAE nationals to nursing roles and boost domestic healthcare capacity. Major hospital groups and new facilities are expanding to meet the growing demand for healthcare from residents and medical tourists.

2. UAE Healthcare Market
Health insurance
providers
Individuals and dependents
Health services
providers
• The DHA made it
mandatory for all UAE
residents to be insured by
June 30 2016
• This includes not just
individuals but also their
dependents
• No new visa is issued if the
individual is not insured.
DHA and HAAD is the regulatory authority for the health insurance
sector in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively
• Major health insurance companies
in the UAE are like Daman
Insurance, Axa Dubai, Aetna
International, RSA Direct, Now
Health International.
• Insurance marketplace is playing an
increasingly important role in the
industry.
• Bayzat is one of the more prominent
companies in the marketplace.
• The above includes major
hospitals such as American
Hospital, NMC Hospital
Group, GMC Clinics..etc
• Dubai is emerging as a major
spot for medical tourism.
• While the facilities are top
notch, the infrastructure is
under pressure, leading to
shortage of both nurses and
doctors.

3. •The UAE is rapidly developing private health sector that delivers a high standard of
healthcare to the population.
•The UAE spends approximately $1,200 per person each year in healthcare, ranking it
among the top 20 countries in the world for healthcare spending per capita.
•The UAE is one of the most developed markets in the Middle East, with a strong
healthcare infrastructure.
•The UAE is increasing its national healthcare system to fulfill the growing needs of
people.
•Due to the constant increase in demand for quality healthcare and with the efforts
taken by the UAE government to promote itself as a medical tourism hub, the
healthcare industry in the emirate is witnessing tremendous growth.
UAE Overview

4. Vision 2021
•One of the agenda focuses on the UAE becoming a leading healthcare provider
for its citizens and expats
•A world-class medical tourism center
Nation-wide cancer registry
•Includes standards of health professionals and a hospital wait time
monitoring system
A new medical research & development facility
Medical training facility and an interconnected network of
all medical centers throughout UAE
An ambulatory health care assistance program for
remotely located citizens
UAE government initiatives

5. • One major problem is the shortfall of qualified medical personnel. According
to Deloitte’s 2015 Global Healthcare Outlook, the workforce, notably the
nurses and physicians, was dominated by expatriates.
• Lack of interest for this profession, poor pay and lack of clarity about the role
are some of the challenges for nursing.
• People need to understand what nurses do and for that, people should be
educated about nursing as a skill, the demand it has globally and the
opportunities that come along with it.
• The UAE significantly depends on foreign nationals to meet its healthcare
requirements.
Shortfall of nurses a major cause for
concern

6.  In Dubai, only 55 out of the 3000 plus nurses are Emiratis. While in 2013, there were 28 nurses for every
100,000 people in the UAE, the number has only slightly increased to 31 in 2015.
 Abu Dhabi Medical Congress revealed that out of the 23,000 to 25,000 nurses in the UAE, only 3 per cent
nurses are Emiratis
Qatar Oman Saudi Arabia Kuwait
118
53
48
45
Nurses for every 100,000 people

7. Emirate Total
Population
Government
Hospitals*
Private
Hospitals*
No. of Beds*
Abu Dhabi 2.5 mil 14 25 4,226
Dubai 2.1 mil 6 32 3,857
Sharjah 1.5 mil 5 10 898
Ras Al
Khaimah
300,000 4 1 562
Ajman 240,000 1 2 189
Fujairah 558,000 2 1 358
Umm Al
Quwain
606,000 1 ---- 606
TOTAL 33 71 10,696
HOSPITALS IN THE UAE

8. Few examples of hospitals:
Ranking World Rank Institute Size
1 2058 American Hospital 4203
2 2134 NMC Hospital Group 2049
3 2608 GMC Clinics 8789
4 3001 Zulekha Hospital 2257
5 3203 Tawam Hospital 5026
6 4181 Sheikh Khalifa Medical City 4037
7 4486
Mediclinic Middle East (EHL
HealthCare Management Services)
3438
8 4888 Al Zahra Private Hospital 5077

9. • The UAE is taking several positive steps to improve health care industry. The
Ministry of Health is looking to enhance the nursing profession and establish a
program that will attract the Emiratis to take up nursing as a profession.
• In 2010, the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council was formed to look after the
licensing as well as regulation of nurses, enhance the education of nurses and
reduce the problems within the profession.
• Most infectious diseases like malaria, measles and poliomyelitis that were
once prevalent in the UAE have been eradicated. New vaccination campaigns
are taking place to protect against chicken pox, pertusis and the rotavirus.
Steps taken to improve health care by
UAE

10. • Higher Colleges of Technology, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Sharjah
University and Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University
which also offers a postgraduate program.
• As a part of Dubai’s 10 year plan, there is a need for at least 7523 doctors
and 8510 nurses to address the health care requirements of the Emiratis.
In order to overcome this, three new medical colleges and five new
nursing schools will be established. This would further aid in developing
domestic talent.
Universities that offer undergraduate
nursing studies in the UAE

11. • The pay scale offered to the nurses would be increased so as to make it at
par with other GCC and global countries.
• Flexible work hours will also be implemented.
• The world’s largest healthcare free zone, the Dubai Health Care City
(DHCC) and has partnered with Queen’s University Belfast for expanding
the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health
Sciences(MBR-UMHS) and its College of Medicine and to assist in
curriculum development, recruitment, staff selection, etc.
DHA’s work to improve nursing
profession

12. Dubai :
• 40 healthcare centers
• 6 specialized centers at New Rashid Hospital: Heart, cancer, cosmetic
surgery, day surgery, a diagnostic center, and a center for treating kidney
problems
• Aster DM Healthcare: 3 hospitals (270 beds)
• Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH): One Hospital at the Dubai Silicon
Oasis (300 beds)
• Mohammed bin Rashid Hospital: Located on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
Road
• New Rashid Hospital by DHA (300 beds +160 beds for emergencies)
• The University Hospital: Fakeeh Medical University at the Dubai Silicon
Oasis
Projects in pipeline

13. Abu Dhabi / Western Region :
• Al Bustan Speciality Hospital - Mussafeh
• Bin Omeir Hospital
• Burjeel Medical City (a part of Mohammad Bin Zayed City) by VPS
Healthcare
• Burjeel’s Reem Island Daycare Centre
• Dialysis Center
• SAS Al Nakheel Hospital
• Women’s Health Hospital in SKMC (838 beds)
• Zayed Military Hospital
• Al Towayya Ambulatory Healthcare Center
• Al Ain Hospital (a new replacement), increasing bed capacity from 412 to
713

14. • The UAE’s public policy for health care focuses on developing organizational
and legal frameworks based on best practice, and to overhaul and upgrade the
private and public sector health service capabilities. In addition, public policy
action will set priorities for health services development within the sector.
• The UAE in its modernization and path of reform is now evolving funding to
focus on increasingly important public-private partnerships. The UAE is
working with leading global institutions to further develop its health care
system.
Adoption of PPP model

15. • A new law requiring compulsory health insurance for all Dubai residents is one
of the steps taken by Dubai health authority which improves the health care
sector.
• Health insurance in Abu Dhabi became compulsory in 2005.
• The UAE has a lot of health insurance providers like Daman Insurance, Axa
Dubai, Aetna International, RSA Direct, Now Health International, Bupa Dubai,
ADNIC, Orient Insurance Company and Oman Insurance Company.
Health insurance facilitating growth