The best private healthcare in Dubai, and how to choose

How private care works in Dubai

Every doctor and clinic in Dubai is licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, except those inside Dubai Healthcare City, which has its own regulator [1] [2]. You can check a licence before you book, and a good provider will tell you which regulator it answers to.

Health insurance is a legal requirement. The Dubai health insurance law of 2013 asks employers to insure their staff and sponsors to insure the people they sponsor, so most residents already hold a policy [3]. A health check or a scan without symptoms is a different matter. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi runs its executive programme as self-pay, and MRI Dubai states that a screening scan is not usually covered, so plan to pay for prevention yourself [4] [5].

When a hospital is the right answer

For an emergency, an operation, a birth or an illness that needs several specialists at once, a large hospital is the right place. Mediclinic City Hospital is accredited by Joint Commission International and has 280 beds, an intensive care unit and a stroke unit accredited by the German Stroke Society [6]. That depth is hard for any clinic to match.

King's College Hospital Dubai publishes its health check prices in full, from AED 2,200 for its Vital Health Check to AED 30,950 for its Signature Royale, and its top packages include pickup from your home or hotel [7] [8]. It also runs a longevity clinic across three sites in Dubai Hills, Jumeirah and Dubai Marina [9]. If you want one hospital brand for checks and treatment, it is a sound choice.

When a single day of tests is the right answer

If what you want is a thorough look at your health once a year, a one day programme suits a busy diary. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi describes its executive programme as about 6 to 8 hours in a single day, ending with a doctor who reviews your results with you. It is a drive from Dubai, and it does not publish a price [4].

A programme like this is excellent at the day itself. What happens in the following months depends on whether a doctor stays with you, so ask who follows up a result that needs action.

When a doctor at home is the right answer

For a feverish child at night or an illness that keeps you at home, a visiting doctor saves a trip across the city. Innovation Family Polyclinic in Jumeirah sends a doctor and a nurse, usually within 1 to 3 hours, for AED 1,200, with tests and medicines charged on top [10]. It is licensed by the Dubai Health Authority and its doctors speak English, Russian, German and Arabic.

A home visit is a good answer to one problem on one day. It works best when the visiting doctor can see your history, which is easier when the same practice holds your record.

Six questions to ask before you choose

These questions apply to any provider, including us. The answers tell you more than a list of services.

• Who will be my doctor, and will I see the same one next time?
• Can I be seen today if I need to be?
• Who reads my scans, and how soon will I have the report?
• Is the clinic licensed by the Dubai Health Authority or by Dubai Healthcare City?
• What does the price include, and what is charged on top?
• Will a doctor explain every result to me in person before I leave?

How our care in Dubai will be different

We are building the clinic around one doctor for your whole family. Your doctor will know your history and your results, will see you on the day you ask and will bring blood tests, imaging and specialists into one place, so you never have to repeat your story.

Founding membership in Dubai is from AED 18,500 a year [11]. Children will be seen from three months old, with a parent or guardian in the room.