Dubai Healthcare Workforce: By the Numbers
99,520 Professionals on the Register · Data as of 3 April 2026
As of 3 April 2026, Dubai's public Sheryan medical register lists 99,520 healthcare professionals, 69,427 of them with an active full-time licence at one of 5,505 facilities. The other 30,000 are Registered Only, with no facility licence. This page breaks the register down by category, specialty, facility and licence type, lists the records Zavis has matched to an area, and compares specialist and consultant numbers.
99,520
Professionals on the register
5,505
Healthcare facilities
1:151
Registered physicians to population
73
Specialties tracked
Workforce by Category
Physicians & Doctors
24,186
24.3% of register records
Dentists
7,713
7.8% of register records
Nurses & Midwives
34,733
34.9% of register records
Allied Health Professionals
32,888
33.0% of register records
Top 20 Specialties by Professional Count
| Specialty | Count | % of Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nurse | 28,552 | 28.7% |
| 2 | Pharmacist | 9,388 | 9.4% |
| 3 | General Practitioner | 6,922 | 7.0% |
| 4 | Assistant Nurse | 5,725 | 5.8% |
| 5 | General Dentist | 5,102 | 5.1% |
| 6 | Physiotherapist | 3,563 | 3.6% |
| 7 | Medical Laboratory Technologist | 2,372 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Aesthetician & Beauty Therapist | 2,142 | 2.2% |
| 9 | Optometrist | 1,851 | 1.9% |
| 10 | Radiography Technologist | 1,591 | 1.6% |
| 11 | Obstetrics & Gynecology | 1,510 | 1.5% |
| 12 | Pediatrics | 1,228 | 1.2% |
| 13 | Medical Laboratory Technician | 1,211 | 1.2% |
| 14 | Family Medicine | 1,100 | 1.1% |
| 15 | Dermatology | 1,072 | 1.1% |
| 16 | Anesthesiology | 1,056 | 1.1% |
| 17 | Internal Medicine | 984 | 1.0% |
| 18 | Orthopedic Surgery | 917 | 0.9% |
| 19 | Dental Assistant | 841 | 0.8% |
| 20 | Pharmacy Technician | 832 | 0.8% |
Top 20 Facilities by Staff Count
License Type Distribution
The register records a licence type for every professional. FTL is a full-time licence held at a Dubai facility. REG means registered only: the professional has passed registration with the Dubai health regulator but holds no active licence at a Dubai facility, so cannot practise in Dubai until a facility activates one. Part-time (PTL) and trainee (TRL) licences also exist but are rare. Licence type does not measure a professional's skill or seniority.
FTL (Full-time licence)
69,410
69.8% of total
REG (Registered only, no facility licence)
30,000
30.2% of total
Other
92
0.1% of total
Professionals Matched to an Area
Licensed professionals at facilities Zavis has matched to a Dubai area. Areas come from the address on each facility's Zavis directory listing. 3,021 of Dubai's 5,505 facilities have an address that names one of these areas; the rest are in other communities or have no usable address, so these counts are matched records, not any area's full workforce. Areas with fewer than 10 matched professionals are left out.
| Area | Matched Professionals |
|---|---|
| Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) | 4,261 |
| Al Barsha | 3,724 |
| Deira | 3,407 |
| Jumeirah | 3,188 |
| Al Garhoud | 2,948 |
| Oud Metha | 2,752 |
| Umm Suqeim | 2,609 |
| Al Qusais | 1,936 |
| Al Jaddaf | 1,723 |
| Al Safa | 1,703 |
| Al Quoz | 1,301 |
| Al Nahda | 1,266 |
| Al Karama | 1,079 |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | 903 |
| Business Bay | 881 |
| Mirdif | 821 |
| Jebel Ali | 735 |
| Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) | 730 |
| Dubai Marina | 687 |
| Al Wasl | 652 |
| Al Mankhool | 560 |
| Bur Dubai | 542 |
| Hatta | 493 |
| Al Rigga | 389 |
| Al Satwa | 377 |
| Al Warqa | 359 |
| Palm Jumeirah | 317 |
| Al Sufouh | 267 |
| Al Rashidiya | 212 |
| Discovery Gardens | 189 |
| International City | 138 |
| Downtown Dubai | 108 |
| Motor City | 75 |
| Al Mamzar | 75 |
| Dubai Sports City | 41 |
Specialist vs. Consultant Comparison
Specialist and Consultant are licence titles under the unified UAE Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). A Specialist holds a recognised specialty qualification. A Consultant needs 2 years of experience after a Tier 1 qualification or 5 years after Tier 2, and a Tier 3 qualification cannot lead to the Consultant title. The table below shows specialties that have both titles on the register, including Registered Only records.
| Specialty | Specialists | Consultants | Ratio (S:C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 1,140 | 361 | 3.2:1 |
| Pediatrics | 915 | 306 | 3.0:1 |
| Family Medicine | 511 | 577 | 0.9:1 |
| Dermatology | 955 | 115 | 8.3:1 |
| Anesthesiology | 741 | 315 | 2.4:1 |
| Internal Medicine | 754 | 229 | 3.3:1 |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 595 | 322 | 1.8:1 |
| Orthodontics | 713 | 43 | 16.6:1 |
| General Surgery | 453 | 274 | 1.7:1 |
| Ophthalmology | 432 | 176 | 2.5:1 |
| ENT (Otolaryngology) | 408 | 151 | 2.7:1 |
| Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery | 316 | 202 | 1.6:1 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 371 | 100 | 3.7:1 |
| Emergency Medicine | 302 | 119 | 2.5:1 |
| Cardiology | 263 | 129 | 2.0:1 |
| Radiology | 255 | 110 | 2.3:1 |
| Psychiatry | 200 | 161 | 1.2:1 |
| Urology | 179 | 133 | 1.3:1 |
| Endodontics | 290 | 13 | 22.3:1 |
| Prosthodontics | 245 | 21 | 11.7:1 |
| Gastroenterology | 127 | 129 | 1.0:1 |
| Neurology | 137 | 117 | 1.2:1 |
| Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery | 225 | 24 | 9.4:1 |
| Pediatric Dentistry | 227 | 20 | 11.3:1 |
| Endocrinology | 90 | 128 | 0.7:1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare professionals are licensed in Dubai?
As of 3 April 2026, 69,427 healthcare professionals held an active full-time licence (FTL) at a Dubai facility, with a further 51 part-time and 41 trainee licences. Dubai's public Sheryan medical register listed 99,520 professionals in all: the other 30,000 were Registered Only (REG), meaning they have passed registration with the Dubai health regulator but hold no facility licence and cannot practise in Dubai until a facility activates one. The register total includes 24,186 physicians, 7,713 dentists, 34,733 nurses and midwives, and 32,888 allied health professionals.
What is the physician-to-population ratio in Dubai?
Dubai's medical register listed 24,186 physicians on 3 April 2026, against an estimated population of 3.66 million: about 1 registered physician for every 151 residents. Counting only the 15,654 physicians with an active full-time licence at a facility, the ratio is about 1 for every 234 residents.
How many healthcare facilities operate in Dubai?
There are 5,505 healthcare facilities with licensed staff in Dubai, according to Dubai's public Sheryan medical register. These range from large government hospitals like Rashid Hospital (2,675 staff) to specialized clinics and pharmacies.
What is the largest hospital in Dubai by staff count?
Rashid Hospital is the largest healthcare facility in Dubai by licensed staff, with 2,675 licensed professionals. It is followed by Dubai Hospital (1,638 staff) and American Hospital Dubai (1,107 staff).
What are the most common medical specialties in Dubai?
The most common specialties among Dubai healthcare professionals are General Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Pharmacist, General Dentist, and Physiotherapist. Among physician specialties specifically, General Practitioner, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Dermatology are the most prevalent.
Where does this healthcare workforce data come from?
All data in this report comes from Dubai's public Sheryan medical professional register, the licensing database for healthcare professionals in Dubai. The snapshot was taken on 3 April 2026.
Explore the Directory
Physicians & Doctors
24,186 professionals
Dentists
7,713 professionals
Nurses & Midwives
34,733 professionals
Allied Health Professionals
32,888 professionals
Source: Dubai's public Sheryan medical professional register, snapshot taken 3 April 2026. Population estimates based on Dubai Statistics Center data. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Verify professional credentials directly with Dubai's health regulator before making healthcare decisions.