Burjeel adds Sharjah's first PET/CT service, shifting oncology imaging in the northern emirates

Burjeel Specialty Hospital has launched Sharjah's first PET/CT service, giving oncology patients in the emirate a local option for advanced cancer imaging rather than routine referral to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

The highest-stakes readers are COOs, CFOs and medical directors. For COOs, the service changes referral routing and patient-flow planning. For CFOs and insurers, it raises questions on prior authorisation, network tariffs and case leakage. For medical directors, it adds a diagnostic option for staging, treatment response and suspected recurrence, subject to clinical indication and payer approval.

What Burjeel has opened in Sharjah

Healthcare Asia Magazine reported the launch after Burjeel's announcement dated 7 September 2026. Burjeel said the service is part of Burjeel Holdings, its listed UAE hospital group. UAE coverage also identified the scanner as a GE Discovery IQ PET/CT system, which combines positron emission tomography with computed tomography for metabolic and anatomical imaging.

PET/CT is used most often in oncology. It can support initial staging, restaging after treatment, assessment of suspected recurrence and radiation planning. It is also used in selected cardiac, infection and neurology cases. A practical operating point matters: published UAE hospital patient guidance says PET/CT appointments commonly take 60-120 minutes, with tracer uptake accounting for much of the time. Al Zahra Hospital Dubai says the uptake wait is about 45-60 minutes, and the scan itself can take 20-45 minutes.

• Patients usually need a specialist referral and pre-authorisation before a private PET/CT booking.
• Preparation often includes fasting for 4-6 hours, with diabetic patients requiring separate instructions.
• Reports are commonly issued after nuclear medicine review; CMC Hospital Dubai says its PET/CT reports are generated within 48 hours.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, diabetes and claustrophobia should be disclosed before appointment confirmation.

Why Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah operators should care

Dubai remains the reference market for private oncology imaging because providers regulated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) already advertise PET/CT services at facilities including Mediclinic City Hospital, CMC Hospital Dubai and Al Zahra Hospital Dubai. Burjeel's Sharjah launch narrows one access gap for patients living in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

For Dubai hospitals, the commercial issue is referral leakage. Sharjah patients who previously crossed emirate lines for imaging may stay inside the northern emirates when the payer network allows it. For Abu Dhabi providers regulated by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH Abu Dhabi), the impact is smaller but relevant for Burjeel's own network. Burjeel Cancer Institute and Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi already sit inside the group's oncology platform.

For Sharjah operators, the relevant regulator is the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), while radiation-related licensing also brings the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) into facility planning. Any clinic considering referral agreements should check three items before changing pathways: MOHAP facility status, FANR licensing for nuclear medicine activity and insurer network listing for the PET/CT site.

Published UAE PET/CT prices are uneven. Health 24/7 lists PET/CT scans starting from AED 2,200, but hospital tariffs vary by tracer, contrast use, body region, reporting package and insurer contract. Clinics should avoid quoting a single cash price to patients until the imaging centre confirms the protocol and the payer confirms benefit limits. A safer workflow is to request the service code, written estimate and pre-authorisation response before the patient travels.

The operational implication

Insurers such as Daman, Thiqa and Sukoon should matter to UAE operators because PET/CT demand is authorisation-sensitive. The clinical indication must match the policy. The referring physician must document the cancer type, treatment status and reason for imaging. Missing documentation can delay approvals, which then delays chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy planning.

The next test is whether Burjeel converts the launch into repeat referral volume. Operators should watch three metrics over the next six months: appointment lead time for Sharjah PET/CT slots, insurer acceptance across major networks and report turnaround compared with Dubai alternatives. Patients and referring clinics can verify licensed hospitals and providers through the UAE Open Healthcare Directory before booking or changing referral pathways.