Pharmacies drew 180,843 Google impressions, the most of any specialty in the UAE

Pharmacies drew 180,843 Google search impressions in the 28 days to 16 October 2026, the most of any specialty in the latest UAE Patient Demand Monitor. The figure was up 2.7% on the previous 28 days. Dental Clinics came second with 146,208 impressions, down 13.6%.

This matters for operators because the data shows where searches that surface care providers are concentrated. Several of the fastest-rising care searches name an immediate need, such as a pharmacy or clinic near the searcher or open now. Pharmacies, walk-in clinics and hospitals that keep their hours and locations accurate may be better placed to meet that demand. Insurers and investors can also see which insurers searchers name, and which cities draw the most impressions.

The Zavis UAE Patient Demand Monitor is based on Google Search Console data for searches that showed a page of the UAE Open Healthcare Directory. Over the period, directory pages recorded 2,227,520 impressions in total. That figure describes the directory's own visibility, not overall patient demand.

Pharmacies and dental clinics dominate specialty searches

After pharmacies and dental clinics, Hospitals & Medical Centers ranked third with 27,798 impressions, down 7.4%. Eye Care & Ophthalmology followed with 25,778, down 1.3%, and Dermatology & Skin Care drew 20,650, down 13%.

Some specialties fell sharply. Impressions for Emergency & Urgent Care fell 35.8% to 6,660. Pediatrics & Child Health fell 38.7% to 5,508, and Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation fell 20.4% to 4,735. A few categories grew: Labs & Diagnostics rose 3.7% to 10,765, Home Healthcare rose 1.3% to 5,017, and General Clinics & Polyclinics rose 0.9% to 12,847.

Pharmacies also recorded 800 clicks, against 434 for Dental Clinics.

Near me, open now and cheap: the fastest-rising care searches

The fastest-rising care searches in Zavis analysis are mostly local and urgent. "pharmacy near me" drew 16,642 impressions, up from 7,731 in the previous 28 days. "pharmacy near me open now" drew 1,359, up from 599, and "cheap pharmacy near me" drew 674, up from 31.

Searches for other immediate care also grew. "24 hour walk in clinic near me" drew 2,318 impressions, up from 94. "hospital near me" drew 1,483, up from 624. "optician near me" drew 1,320, up from 48.

Some rising searches name a specific provider or ask for reviews. "top level medical center reviews" drew 968 impressions, up from 237, and "indus dental center reviews" drew 560, up from 90.

Across all searches, "near me" searches made up 3.3% of impressions. Searches for 24-hour or open-now care made up 0.6%, and price and cost searches also made up 0.6%. Arabic-language searches made up 15.6% of impressions.

Dubai draws the most city searches; Ajman falls

Among searches that named a city, Dubai drew the most impressions, with 130,863, down 9.8%. Abu Dhabi followed with 51,715, down 8.1%, and Sharjah drew 34,733, down 8.9%.

Ajman fell 23.8% to 28,962. Al Ain was close to flat, down 1.1% at 20,027. Two smaller emirates grew: Fujairah rose 5.4% to 3,631, and Umm Al Quwain rose 6.8% to 3,111.

Daman is the insurer most named in searches

Searches naming insurance or an insurer made up 0.6% of impressions. Within that group, Daman drew the most impressions, with 2,483, down 1%. Orient Insurance followed with 1,234, up 2.9%, and Cigna drew 1,090, up 33.4%.

Some smaller names grew fast from a low base. AXA rose 151.3% to 387 impressions, and MetLife rose 99.6% to 447. Thiqa fell 26.6% to 538, and NAS (NextCare) fell 13.8% to 652. Fidelity United Insurance drew 435 impressions but recorded 27 clicks, the most in the insurer table.

What it means

For clinic and hospital operators, the rising searches point to local, time-sensitive needs. Pharmacies, walk-in clinics and opticians may benefit from keeping opening hours, addresses and reviews up to date where searchers can find them.

For insurers, searches naming an insurer remain a small share of impressions. Even so, they show which insurer names people type when looking for care, and which are growing.

For patients, practical steps still apply: check a facility's hours before travelling at night, and confirm with your insurer which providers your plan covers before a visit.

Two caveats apply. Google withholds very rare searches for privacy, so these totals are lower than all searches. And because demand is measured through the directory's visibility, a change can reflect search behaviour or ranking.