The UAE has a comprehensive, government-funded health service and a rapidly developing private health sector that delivers a high standard of health care to the population. Healthcare is regulated at both the Federal and Emirate level. ... To date, health care in the UAE has been funded mainly by the Government.

Health Care Transformation in Dubai

In neighboring emirate Dubai, healthcare is experiencing rapid innovation through modernization of patient service delivery and infrastructure projects.  The Dubai Health Authority serves a dual role as regulator and operator of the Emirate of Dubai’s healthcare sector. Priorities for the health care sector in Dubai include retaining and attracting high caliber medical and healthcare staff, strengthening initiatives around postgraduate healthcare education and continued investment in primary and specialized health services 

There are also two healthcare free zones in Dubai, Dubai Healthcare City and Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park, which have their own regulatory bodies. Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) was launched in 2002 by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid to meet the demand for high-quality healthcare, today DHCC has two hospitals, over 120 outpatient medical centers and diagnostic laboratories with over 4,000 licensed professionals.  Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park, launched as part of Dubai’s 2010 vision to establish a  knowledge-based economy, is the world’s first free-zone dedicated to life sciences 

Health Care Transformation in Abu Dhabi

Health care delivery in Abu Dhabi is undergoing a significant transition that will affect the entire spectrum of stakeholders: patients (citizens and expatriates), providers and those responsible for planning, assuring the quality of services and financing the health system. The key objectives for the Health Authority in Abu Dhabi are to:

• Improve quality of care, always the primary consideration, to be promoted through application of rigorous service standards and performance targets across the board.
• Expand access to services, giving all patients access to the same standard of care with the power to choose health care services thus promoting excellence through free-market competition.
• Shift from public to private providers safely and efficiently so that private providers, rather than government, service health care needs, with the role of government restricted to the development and enforcement of new, world-class health care standards.
• Implement a new financing model through an innovative system of mandatory health insurance.

Insurance for all workers, including domestic, is required and funded by sponsors. The compulsory health insurance plan for private sector employees, as implemented in Abu Dhabi, came into effect across the country in 2008. Hallmarks of the new system included a clear and transparent reimbursement process, affordable access for all residents and reliable funding for quality health care in Abu Dhabi.

A charitable fund continues to operate for underinsured expatriates and to aid in financing more serious medical conditions such as cancer, dialysis, polytrauma and disability.