Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is the region’s largest healthcare free zone — a dedicated medical campus housing hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, medical education institutions, and healthcare research facilities. Here is a complete guide to setting up in DHCC.
What Is Dubai Healthcare City?
DHCC was established in 2002 and spans over 4.1 million square metres in the Bur Dubai area. DHCC hosts: 170+ clinical institutions, 400+ retail, food and service establishments, 25+ educational institutions, and a community of 6,000+ healthcare workers. DHCC is the ONLY UAE free zone that permits clinical medical practice — all other UAE free zones restrict healthcare activities to non-clinical (consulting, devices, pharmaceuticals) only.
DHCC Licence Categories
Clinical Licence: Hospitals, clinics, specialist centres, pharmacies, laboratories, diagnostic imaging, physiotherapy, dentistry, and any activity involving patient care. Regulated by the DHCC regulatory authority (DCCA). Educational Licence: Medical schools, nursing colleges, continuing medical education (CME) providers. Commercial Licence: Medical devices trading, pharmaceutical distribution, healthcare IT, medical supply, and healthcare management consulting. Commercial licence in DHCC does NOT permit patient care.
DHCC DHA Licensing Requirement
Every healthcare professional practicing in DHCC — regardless of which country they trained in — must hold a Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licence in their relevant specialty. The DHA licence process involves: credential evaluation (degree, training, work experience verification), clinical competency assessment (written and/or practical exam for some specialties), good standing certificates from home country medical board, and DHA registration fee. Timeline: 3–6 months for most specialties. DHCC provides a dedicated DHA liaison office to assist practitioners with the licencing process.