03.1c The Health System in the UAE

The Health System in the United Arab Emirates

Health Insurance in the United Arab Emirates

The heath sector of the United Arab Emirates has an excellent reputation. Both the number of doctors per person and the life expectancy are more than comparable to western industrialised nations. There also many English-speaking health care professionals working in all major cities of the UAE.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UAE spend around 3% of their GDP on the health sector. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are home to some of the world’s most highly qualified medical specialists and the modern hospitals are fitted with state of the art equipment, establishing these cities as favourites for health tourism.

With its “Healthcare City”, Dubai has developed a whole suburb dedicated to medical services, research and education. While citizens of the UAE have access to free medical treatment, expats must pay  for treatment themselves or apply for Private Health Insurance.

While insurance is not yet mandatory in all of the Emirates, a bill making insurance compulsory is already on the table. The costs for private health insurance start from 100.00 Euros/month per person. Not all health insurance providers request applicants to provide information about their medical history.