20 April 2026 · 8 min read
A practical guide to DHA, MOH, and DOH licensing display requirements for UAE clinic websites — plus what to do about patient data, bilingual content, and telemedicine links.
When we build clinic sites in Dubai, the first question is always the same: "What do we legally need to show?" The answer is more specific than most agencies will tell you, and the consequences of getting it wrong are real — the Dubai Health Authority does conduct audits of healthcare digital presence.
This post covers what's required, what's advisable, and what's genuinely optional.
Before anything else, it's worth clarifying which authority applies to your clinic. This confuses even experienced healthcare administrators.
DHA (Dubai Health Authority) — Regulates all healthcare facilities and practitioners operating in the Emirate of Dubai (including free zones like DHCC, Dubai Science Park, and most of the city you'd recognise).
DOH (Department of Health — Abu Dhabi) — Regulates healthcare in Abu Dhabi Emirate, including all free zones within it.
MOH (Ministry of Health and Prevention) — Regulates healthcare in the other five Emirates (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah) and has some federal-level oversight responsibilities.
If your clinic is in Dubai, you're under DHA. If you're in Abu Dhabi, you're under DOH. The requirements below are primarily DHA-focused, but MOH follows similar principles.
Every DHA-licensed healthcare facility must display its facility license number. This is a legal requirement, not a recommendation. The license number should be visible on your website — typically in the footer, on the About/Contact page, or on a dedicated "Licensing" section.
The format is typically something like: DHA Facility License: XXXXXX
Don't bury this in tiny footer text. DHA auditors look at clinic websites, and a clearly displayed license number is also a trust signal for patients.
Every doctor, dentist, physiotherapist, or licensed practitioner working at your clinic should have their DHA practitioner license number listed alongside their name and credentials. If Dr. Ahmed is a specialist in internal medicine, his profile on your site should show his qualifications, his specialty, and his DHA license number.
This matters for patient trust and for regulatory compliance. Patients have a right to verify their practitioner's credentials before making an appointment.
At minimum, each practitioner profile should include:
Professional headshots matter more than most clinics realise. A photo of a doctor in proper clinical context builds immediate trust.
If your clinic accepts health insurance, list the accepted networks prominently. This is one of the first questions a UAE patient asks, and the answer determines whether they book with you or keep searching.
UAE's main insurance networks in the healthcare context include Daman, Aman, MetLife, Cigna, Aetna, Al Buhaira, and many others. Don't just say "we accept insurance" — list the actual networks. An incomplete list is better than no list.
If your clinic is in Dubai, DHA's Essential Benefits Plan (EBP) is the mandatory minimum coverage for all Dubai residents. If you don't accept DHA EBP patients, make that clear — it's a significant share of the market.
This is where many UAE clinic websites create legal exposure without realising it.
No "cure" language. Saying your clinic "cures" a condition is not acceptable unless you have documented clinical evidence and it aligns with professional guidelines. "We treat", "we manage", "we specialise in" — yes. "We cure" or "guaranteed results" — no.
No unsubstantiated statistics. "90% of our patients see improvement" requires documented basis. Don't put numbers you can't back up on your website.
No comparison to competitors. Regulatory bodies across the UAE frown on comparative advertising in healthcare. "Better than [Competitor Clinic]" is the type of claim that generates complaints.
No before/after photos without explicit written consent. If you use case study images (common in aesthetic clinics, dental practices, dermatology), you need documented patient consent on file for each image. DHA has guidelines on this.
These aren't bureaucratic technicalities — they're meaningful standards designed to protect patients from misleading medical claims.
A common question: "Can I use a contact form to collect patient information?"
The answer is yes, with caveats.
Contact forms that collect name, phone, and email for appointment booking are standard and generally fine. The problem arises when forms collect medical information — symptoms, conditions, medications, existing diagnoses. Storing that data in a basic contact form backend (most CMS email-to-form setups) is not appropriate for identifiable medical data.
Practical guidance:
The minimum viable approach: collect only contact information on the website, and handle all medical data through your in-clinic systems.
DHA issued specific guidance on teleconsultation after 2020. If your clinic offers virtual consultations, your website needs to make clear:
Don't just embed a Zoom link or a Calendly booking for telemedicine without making these clarifications. DHA has guidelines on what can and cannot be managed via telemedicine, and a clinic that appears to be treating everything virtually without appropriate guidance is a compliance risk.
Arabic is not a legal requirement for private healthcare clinic websites in Dubai. That said, I'd argue it's one of the highest-return investments a UAE clinic can make on its website.
The UAE's population includes millions of Arabic speakers — Emiratis, Egyptians, Levantine expats, Gulf nationals visiting Dubai for treatment. Many of these patients are more comfortable making healthcare decisions in Arabic. A website that speaks to them in their language signals that your clinic is for them, not just for Western expats.
At minimum: a bilingual appointment booking form, Arabic version of doctor profiles, and Arabic contact information will serve a meaningful percentage of your potential patient base better than an English-only site.
Your GBP category selection matters specifically for healthcare. "Medical clinic" is too generic — if you're a dental practice, choose "Dentist". If you're a physiotherapy centre, choose "Physical therapist". If you're a specialist facility (oncology, cardiology, orthopaedics), there are specific categories for most specialties.
The category affects which searches your listing appears in. "Dental clinic near me" and "Medical clinic near me" pull from different pools.
Review generation is also important for clinics, but handle it carefully. Never ask for reviews immediately after a clinical encounter. Give patients time (at least 48–72 hours after their visit) and use WhatsApp follow-ups rather than email, which gets ignored. Keep the request low-pressure: "If you have a moment and were happy with your visit, a Google review helps other patients find us."
For most small and mid-size clinics, a simple WhatsApp button and phone number is sufficient for appointment booking at launch. Dedicated booking systems (ClinicSense, Jane App, or integrations with practice management software) make sense once you're handling consistent appointment volume.
What I'd avoid: over-engineering the booking flow before you understand your patient's actual behaviour. Some clinics in Dubai find that 90% of their appointments come through WhatsApp anyway, making a complex booking system mostly unused overhead.
We build clinic websites regularly and understand the DHA display requirements, bilingual structure, and patient data considerations that need to be baked in from the start. See how we approach healthcare websites or get in touch to discuss your specific setup.
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