Health insurance is compulsory for residents of the UAE's two biggest emirates, but the rules are not identical. Dubai has its own law and an Essential Benefits Plan, Abu Dhabi has its own law and regulator, and a federal ministry sets employer duties for private-sector workers. This guide explains who has to pay, what the basic Dubai plan covers, what your employer is not allowed to do, and what the numbers look like for a family.

In short: Employers must insure their employees, and they may not make the worker pay for it. Dependants (spouse and children) are the grey area: in Dubai the sponsor is responsible, and some employers pay for them while others do not. Check your contract and your insurance card, because the cover level and the dependants rule decide what you really have.

Dubai

Dubai's mandatory scheme comes from Law No. 11 of 2013 and is run by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Press reports on the rollout describe the rule as: employers are responsible for insuring their employees, and sponsors for the people they sponsor who do not work for an employer. The law also says an employer may not deduct the premium from an employee's pay. Insurance is tied to your residence visa, because proof of cover is needed to issue or renew it.

The baseline product is the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP). It was designed for lower earners (the figure usually quoted is a monthly salary of AED 4,000 or less), and it is the minimum standard that any DHA-compliant policy has to meet or beat. Employers can offer a better plan for higher earners.

Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi the basis is Law No. 23 of 2005, enforced by the Department of Health (DoH). Reports describe it as requiring employers to provide health insurance for all their employees and for their sponsored dependants, generally one spouse and up to three children under 18. Plan tiers are reported as Thiqa for UAE nationals and Basic or Enhanced for expats, depending on salary. These details come from secondary sources, so confirm the tier and the dependants rule with the DoH or an approved insurer.

What the Federal Ministry Says Employers Must Not Do

For private-sector workers and domestic workers, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has listed six violations by employers:

  1. Not enrolling a worker in a health insurance policy, or not renewing it.
  2. Refusing to cover healthcare or emergency treatment for an insured worker.
  3. Making the worker pay all or part of the cost of taking out or renewing the policy.
  4. Providing a policy that does not meet the Ministry's basic coverage requirements.
  5. Cancelling the policy while the work permit is still valid.
  6. Failing to keep continuous cover for the whole validity of the work permit.

The Ministry can also suspend, reject or refuse to renew work permits. Fines follow Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2020 as amended. I did not find a current fine schedule in the sources checked, so no amounts are quoted here.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi Side by Side

DubaiAbu Dhabi
Law and regulatorLaw No. 11 of 2013, DHALaw No. 23 of 2005, DoH
EmployeesEmployer must insureEmployer must insure
DependantsSponsor responsible; employer may choose to coverReported as employer duty for spouse and up to three children under 18
Cost to the workerEmployer may not deduct the premiumEmployer may not make the worker pay (federal rule)
Basic planEssential Benefits PlanBasic plan (Thiqa for nationals)

What the Dubai Essential Benefits Plan Covers

These figures come from a Gulf News guide published in November 2019, so treat them as a guide and check the current DHA terms and your own policy schedule:

  • Annual limit: AED 150,000 per person per year.
  • Co-payment: 20% on non-urgent inpatient care, outpatient visits, lab tests, physiotherapy and radiology, with inpatient co-pays capped at AED 500 per encounter and AED 1,000 per year; 30% on medicines up to AED 1,500 per person; 10% on maternity.
  • Maternity: up to AED 7,000 for a normal delivery and AED 10,000 for an emergency Caesarean.
  • Pre-existing conditions: you must declare them. Full cover starts after a six-month waiting period, while emergency care is covered during the wait.
  • Where: treatment in Dubai and emergency care in other emirates. Not treatment abroad.

Worked Examples

All amounts below use the 2019 EBP terms above and are for illustration. Your own policy may differ.

AED 20,000 hospital stay under the EBP (illustrative)Insurer paysAED 19,500You payAED 500 (20% would be 4,000, capped at 500)
Illustration only. The inpatient cap applies to non-urgent inpatient co-pays under the plan terms quoted above.
  • Everyday costs: a AED 300 clinic visit at 20% co-pay costs you AED 60. AED 200 of medicine at 30% costs you AED 60.
  • Hospital stay: on a AED 20,000 non-urgent inpatient bill, 20% would be AED 4,000, but the AED 500 per-encounter cap means you pay AED 500.
  • Over the annual limit: if claims in a year reach AED 180,000, the plan pays up to AED 150,000 and you carry the remaining AED 30,000 (plus co-pays). This is why higher earners and families with health risks often want a plan above the EBP.
  • Insuring a family: the 2019 guide quotes "from" prices of AED 650 a year for a child or general dependant and AED 1,600 for a non-working wife aged 18 to 45. A spouse and two children is 1,600 + 650 + 650 = AED 2,900 a year, about AED 242 a month, at the minimum. Real quotes are higher for better networks and cover.
  • Cost of skipping it: the same guide reported a fine of AED 500 a month for residents without cover. Six months of fines is AED 3,000, more than a year of the cheapest dependant plan at AED 650. Check the current fine with DHA.

If your employer covers only you, add up the dependants' cost before accepting a job offer. Our UAE gratuity calculator and the basic salary vs allowances guide help you compare the full package, not just the headline salary.

Checklist: Is Your Cover Real?

  • Ask for your policy schedule and card. Check the insurer, the plan name and the annual limit.
  • Find out if dependants are included and who pays. Get it in writing in your contract.
  • Check the network: which hospitals and clinics accept the card, and whether you can go to specialists directly.
  • Look at the co-pay, the deductible and the waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and maternity.
  • If your employer asks you to pay your own premium, note that the Dubai law and the federal rules both say it should not.
  • Tell your HR and insurer when you add a spouse or a child, and renew before the policy expires.

Sources and last review

The Dubai points were checked against Gulf News reporting on Law No. 11 of 2013 and the Essential Benefits Plan (the plan figures date from 2019). The federal violations list comes from a Gulf News report on MoHRE's announcement (updated August 2026). The Abu Dhabi points come from secondary reports of Law No. 23 of 2005; the DoH page could not be opened directly when this article was prepared. Last reviewed on 22 October 2026. Plan terms, fines and thresholds change, so confirm them with the DHA, DoH, MoHRE and your insurer.

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This article gives general information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. Figures are illustrations based on the sources listed. For your own situation, check your policy wording and ask the regulator or your insurer.