Dubai's clinics, hospital groups, government teams and insurers share one set of rules. NABIDH carries the record across the emirate, Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 keeps health data in the UAE, the DHA's AI policy sets how AI is governed, the Dubai Longevity Authority now regulates longevity care, and every insurance claim runs through eClaimLink. wai is built to meet each of them for every buyer.
A market that grows every year
Dubai had about 5,800 licensed health facilities in 2025, up from 5,340 a year earlier, including 55 hospitals, and its private health workforce passed 69,400 professionals.1 By the end of June 2025, NABIDH held more than 10.41 million medical records from nearly 1,888 licensed facilities.2 Every facility that opens joins the same exchange, under the same rules, which makes Dubai a market where one well built platform serves every kind of buyer.
The rules, and how wai meets each one
| Rule | What it asks | Private clinics | Health systems | Governments | Insurers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NABIDH interoperability standard | All DHA licensed facilities share records with NABIDH, with HL7 version 2 recommended and FHIR and IHE supported, and each facility shows a NABIDH compliant record with tested connectivity to activate its licence.34 | wai is built to connect to NABIDH. We set up your clinic's connection with you. | One record and one patient identity across every site in the group. | Complete, signed records from every visit, adding to the emirate's exchange. | A full history behind every claim, shared through the exchange the DHA runs. |
| Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 | Health data about care given in the UAE stays in the country unless a health authority resolution allows otherwise, is kept for at least 25 years, and carries the Emirates ID in every record.5 | Records hosted in the UAE and kept for the full period. | One retention policy and one identity for every site. | Records that stay in the UAE, under the UAE's rules. | Data shared for the review of financial entitlements, as Article 16 allows. |
| DHA policy on AI in healthcare | AI is ethical, accountable, transparent, safe and private. Facilities report AI incidents, train staff and patients, and arrange regular independent audits. Insurers keep clear governance of their own AI.6 | Nothing leaves wai Clinicians until the doctor has read and signed it. | One register of AI tools for the whole group, with one owner. | An audit trail that supports the DHA's evaluation of inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. | A named professional behind every AI drafted record. |
| Dubai Longevity Authority, Law No. 17 of 2026 | Longevity activity needs the authority's permit, and the authority and the DHA agree a unified protocol on longevity patients' information and the digital systems used.7 | Signed records and results for every longevity programme visit, in the patient's own app. | One longevity record across every site that offers the service. | Structured records that feed the authority's integrated longevity database. | Clear records of what each longevity programme delivered. |
| Dubai Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013 and eClaimLink | Cover is mandatory for nationals, residents and visitors, and every claim is submitted electronically through eClaimLink.89 | Invoices coded from the signed note, and every claim prepared for your billing team to submit through eClaimLink. | One coding standard across every site. | Claims that rest on records the DHA can audit. | Complete records at the moment of the order, for faster approvals and fewer denials. |
| DHA consent and access control standard | The general consent form covers sharing with NABIDH, access consent is given in Arabic or English, and opted out patients' records are sent with identifiers anonymised.10 | Consent recorded in the patient's thread, in Arabic or English. | A patient's choice recorded once and honoured at every site. | Opt outs honoured in every record sent. | Member consent handled to the DHA standard. |
wai hosts your clinic's records in the UAE, under the UAE's rules. We set this up with your clinic.
What each buyer gains
A private clinic gains a front desk that answers in Arabic and English day and night, doctors who leave with their notes signed, and a set-up our team completes with them. A hospital group gains one record, one identity and one front desk across every site. A government team gains complete, signed records and an audit trail for every AI tool. An insurer gains claims that rest on a full, signed history.
Dubai guides
- Running a Dubai hospital group on one record, from NABIDH to the patient's phoneHealth systems
- Clinic management software in Dubai, and what to check for NABIDHOperations
- How the DHA and Dubai government teams can bring AI into care under the UAE health data lawGovernment
- What the Dubai Longevity Authority law means for clinicsRegulation
- What Dubai's health insurance rules ask of insurers, and how signed notes make every claim cleanerInsurers
- Can an AI receptionist answer patients in Arabic and English?Front desk
- What the research says about ambient AI scribesClinical
- How medical tourists choose a clinic in DubaiGrowth
- Using AI in a Dubai clinic, and what the DHA policy expectsRegulation
- How to open a clinic in Dubai, from DHA licence to first patientSet-up
Questions
Do Dubai clinics have to share records with NABIDH?
Yes. The DHA's interoperability standard applies to all DHA licensed health facilities, and its licensing manual asks each new facility for a record that meets NABIDH standards, with tested connectivity, before the licence is activated.
Can health data be stored outside the UAE?
Article 13 of Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 says health data about care given in the UAE may not be stored, processed or transferred outside the country unless a health authority resolution allows it.
Is there an AI regulation for healthcare in Dubai?
The DHA's policy on artificial intelligence in healthcare applies to licensed facilities and professionals, insurers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, public health entities and researchers using AI in Dubai.
Is health insurance mandatory in Dubai?
Yes. Dubai Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013 makes cover mandatory for UAE nationals residing in Dubai, residents and visitors, with the Essential Benefits Plan as the minimum.
Every regulator wai maps its evidence to, with the framework in force today, is on the regulators page. Go deeper with DHA, with Dubai Healthcare City, DOH Abu Dhabi and JCI accreditation, each with the framework explained, a readiness checklist and guides.
Sources
- 1Dubai Media Office, 2026Dubai's healthcare ecosystem posts record growth in 2025Read source
- 2ARN News Centre, 2025Dubai's NABIDH platform surpasses 10 million medical recordsRead source
- 3Dubai Health Authority, 2025Standards for Interoperability and Data Exchange, DHA/HISHD/ST-02, issue 2, effectiveRead source
- 4Dubai Health Authority, 2024Manual for Licensing Health Facility, version 1.1, 20 November 2024, sections 7.2.4 and 7.2.6.10Read source
- 5Federal Law No. (2) of 2019 Concerning the Use of the Information and Communications Technology in Health Fields, 2019articles 13, 16, 20 and 21, English text published on ISAHDRead source
- 6Dubai Health AuthorityArtificial Intelligence in the Healthcare policy, DHA/HISHD/PP-09, sections 4.8 to 4.10Read source
- 7Government of Dubai, 2026Law No. (17) of 2026 Establishing the Dubai Longevity Authority, articles 7 and 14, Dubai Legal PortalRead source
- 8Dubai Health AuthorityISAHD, Frequently asked questions, health insurance in DubaiRead source
- 9Al Tamimi and Company, 2025Dubai Issues Comprehensive Overhaul of Health Insurance Claims Management Framework, October 2025, as published by the GCC Board Directors InstituteRead source
- 10Dubai Health Authority, 2025Standards for Health Information Consent and Access Control, version 1, effectiveRead source
Written and reviewed by the clinical team at wai. Last reviewed 14 October 2026.
