CBUAE says UAE health premiums rise 16.3% as market reaches AED 74.8 billion

UAE gross written insurance premiums rose 14.9% to AED 74.8 billion in 2025, with health cover growing faster than the market at 16.3%, according to Khaleej Times, citing the Central Bank of the UAE.

The highest-stakes readers are clinic owners, CFOs and operations heads. The number matters because insurance-funded care now sets the commercial terms for a larger share of outpatient activity in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates. The relevant health regulators remain the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in Dubai, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH Abu Dhabi) in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) for the northern emirates.

Health cover is now a volume story

Health premiums reached AED 30 billion in 2025, while property and liability premiums rose 14.1% to AED 36.4 billion. Life insurance and fund accumulation increased 12.1% to AED 8.4 billion. The Central Bank data, also carried by Emirates News Agency, said active policies reached 17.3 million in 2025.

For clinics, the operational signal is in policy count. Health insurance policies rose 26.1% after the UAE extended mandatory basic health insurance to private-sector employees and domestic workers across the emirates from 1 January 2025. That brings more lower-income and previously uninsured patients into payer networks. It also increases the importance of eligibility checks, pre-authorization discipline and denial tracking.

In Dubai, DHA’s Sheryan medical registry lists licensed facilities and professionals, and the emirate’s health insurance framework has long required resident cover that meets minimum benefits. In Abu Dhabi, DOH Abu Dhabi regulates mandatory cover, while the Thiqa programme covers eligible UAE nationals and has been managed by Daman since 2008. In the northern emirates, MOHAP is the health regulator that clinic operators should map against licensing and service-scope decisions.

Claims growth is the number CFOs should watch

The premium increase did not come without utilisation pressure. Insurers paid AED 46.2 billion in claims in 2025, up 11%. Health insurance claims rose 15.1% year on year, close to the 16.3% increase in health premiums. The health insurance loss ratio eased to 75.3% from 77.4% in 2024.

That loss-ratio improvement gives insurers room to protect margins, but clinics should expect tougher contract management rather than easier approvals. The sector’s total profit rose to AED 4 billion from AED 2.6 billion, with the Central Bank attributing the increase mainly to higher net investment income. Insurers also held AED 96.4 billion in invested assets, equal to 58.4% of total assets.

• Clinic CFOs should compare insurer receivables ageing by payer, especially for high-volume basic plans.
• COOs should audit front-desk eligibility checks before visa-linked policy renewals increase patient churn.
• Owners should test whether new payer contracts add volume at acceptable reimbursement rates.
• Patients should confirm network access before buying a low-premium plan or renewing employer cover.

Mandatory cover changes the clinic growth map

The practical effect is strongest in primary care, diagnostics, dental triage, physiotherapy and pharmacy-linked referrals. Mandatory plans expand addressable demand, but they often come with tighter networks and lower reimbursement per visit. Clinics that depend on cash-pay patients in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain should watch whether insured visits replace cash visits during 2026 renewals.

Price discovery remains uneven. Publicly quoted market guides put basic cover in the UAE at about AED 320 a year under the federal basic package, while Dubai Essential Benefits Plan pricing is commonly cited around AED 550 to AED 650 a year for eligible low-income residents. Operators should verify current prices through licensed brokers, DHA-participating insurers, DOH Abu Dhabi requirements or MOHAP-linked visa channels before budgeting.

The next check is payer concentration. A clinic with 40% of revenue tied to one insurer has a different risk profile from a clinic with broad contracts across Daman, Sukoon and other licensed insurers. Before signing new network terms, operators should model visit volume, average reimbursement, denial rate and payment days, then compare those numbers with cash-pay alternatives.

For patients and employers choosing providers, start with licensed facilities rather than social media lists. Use the UAE Open Healthcare Directory, DHA’s medical registry, DOH Abu Dhabi resources and MOHAP directories to confirm clinic and professional licences before booking care.