License Benchmark

FTL Rate Analysis — Independent Practice in Dubai

72 Specialties · 33 Areas · Data as of 2026-04-03

DHA issues two primary license types: FTL (Full Trade License) for professionals operating under their own trade license, and REG (Registered) for professionals employed under a facility's license. A high FTL rate indicates a specialty or area where independent practice is prevalent — common in outpatient specialties like dermatology and dentistry. A low FTL rate suggests hospital-based employment dominates.

70%

Overall FTL Rate

69,428

FTL Professionals

30,092

REG Professionals

90%

Highest Specialty FTL

FTL Rate by Specialty

Specialties with 20+ licensed professionals, ranked by percentage holding an FTL (Full Trade License). Higher FTL rates indicate greater independent practice prevalence.

#	Specialty	FTL Rate	FTL	Total
1	Laser Hair Reduction Technician	90%	591	654
2	Dental Hygienist	88%	130	148
3	Reproductive Medicine & IVF	83%	44	53
4	Phlebotomist	83%	186	225
5	Dental Implantology	82%	183	223
6	Radiology	81%	295	365
7	Massage Therapist	81%	123	152
8	Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery	80%	412	518
9	Dental Lab Technician	80%	259	325
10	Clinical Psychologist	79%	323	409
11	Registered Nurse	77%	22,026	28,552
12	Assistant Nurse	77%	4,418	5,725
13	Dermatology	76%	815	1,072
14	Respiratory Therapist	75%	128	171
15	Speech Therapist	74%	411	553
16	Interventional Cardiology	73%	88	120
17	Pediatric Dentistry	73%	181	247
18	Dental Assistant	73%	611	841
19	Endocrinology	72%	157	218
20	Orthodontics	72%	548	756
21	Pharmacist	72%	6,754	9,388
22	Gastroenterology	71%	181	256
23	Neonatology	71%	74	104
24	Anesthesia Technician	71%	327	458
25	Pediatrics	70%	854	1,222
26	Optometrist	70%	1,297	1,851
27	Radiography Technologist	70%	1,119	1,591
28	ENT (Otolaryngology)	69%	384	560
29	Prosthodontics	69%	183	266
30	Registered Midwife	69%	221	320
31	Restorative Dentistry	68%	28	41
32	Obstetrics & Gynecology	67%	1,008	1,501
33	Occupational Therapist	67%	305	456
34	Pediatric Surgery	66%	40	61
35	Orthopedic Surgery	65%	600	917
36	Emergency Medicine	65%	273	421
37	Endodontics	65%	197	303
38	Medical Laboratory Technician	65%	785	1,211
39	Clinical Pharmacist	65%	189	291
40	General Practitioner	63%	4,356	6,922
41	Family Medicine	63%	688	1,089
42	Internal Medicine	63%	616	983
43	General Surgery	63%	460	727
44	Ophthalmology	63%	381	608
45	Audiologist	63%	110	176
46	Urology	62%	193	312
47	Neurology	62%	158	254
48	Critical Care Medicine	61%	107	176
49	Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery	61%	153	249
50	Periodontics	61%	121	199
51	Medical Laboratory Technologist	61%	1,450	2,372
52	Vascular Surgery	60%	43	72
53	General Dentist	60%	3,042	5,102
54	Physiotherapist	60%	2,155	3,563
55	Nutritionist	60%	109	182
56	Oral Surgery	59%	27	46
57	Clinical Dietician	59%	290	489
58	Anesthesiology	58%	614	1,056
59	Rheumatology	58%	63	108
60	Psychiatry	57%	205	361
61	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	57%	30	53
62	Nephrology	56%	87	154
63	Medical Oncology	56%	60	107
64	Aesthetician & Beauty Therapist	56%	1,190	2,142
65	Neurosurgery	55%	106	194
66	Cardiology	52%	206	393
67	Pulmonology	52%	96	186
68	Diagnostic Radiology	51%	241	472
69	Pharmacy Technician	47%	388	832
70	Clinical Pathology	0%	0	0
71	Anatomic Pathology	0%	0	0
72	Practical Nurse	0%	0	0

FTL Rate by Area

Dubai areas ranked by FTL prevalence among licensed healthcare professionals. Areas with high FTL rates tend to have more independent clinics and specialist practices.

#	Area	FTL Rate	FTL	Total
1	Oud Metha	100%	5,057	5,057
2	Al Barsha	100%	4,765	4,766
3	Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC)	100%	3,734	3,739
4	Deira	100%	2,355	2,355
5	Al Safa	100%	1,695	1,697
6	Al Garhoud	100%	1,427	1,428
7	Al Qusais	100%	1,340	1,340
8	Al Jaddaf	100%	1,023	1,023
9	Jumeirah	100%	826	826
10	Al Nahda	100%	611	611
11	Mirdif	100%	606	606
12	Al Mamzar	100%	543	543
13	Bur Dubai	100%	446	446
14	Hatta	100%	427	427
15	Dubai Marina	100%	228	229
16	Al Karama	100%	169	169
17	Jebel Ali	100%	167	167
18	Al Warqa	100%	133	133
19	Al Rashidiya	100%	131	131
20	Motor City	100%	113	113
21	Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT)	100%	85	85
22	International City	100%	63	63
23	Al Mankhool	100%	54	54
24	Umm Suqeim	100%	54	54
25	Al Wasl	100%	50	50
26	Palm Jumeirah	100%	41	41
27	Dubai Silicon Oasis	100%	38	38
28	Al Sufouh	100%	38	38
29	Al Quoz	100%	38	38
30	Al Satwa	100%	36	36
31	Business Bay	100%	24	24
32	Dubai Sports City	100%	23	23
33	Downtown Dubai	100%	16	16

Other Benchmarks

Nurse-to-Doctor Ratio

Facility-level staffing ratios with WHO benchmark comparison

Staff per Facility

Facility size distribution and staffing tier analysis

Specialist per Capita

Per-100K population rates for every specialty

Source: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Sheryan Medical Professional Registry. Data scraped 2026-04-03. FTL (Full Trade License) indicates a professional operating under their own trade license. REG (Registered) indicates employment under a facility's license. License type reflects the employment arrangement, not skill level. Specialties with fewer than 20 professionals are excluded. Verify credentials directly with DHA.