Flagship Workforce Report
Dubai Healthcare Workforce Report 2026
Published 2026-04-03 | Source: the Dubai medical register
Executive Summary
Dubai's medical register listed 99,520 healthcare professionals on 3 April 2026. 69,427 of them held an active full-time licence at one of 5,505 facilities. The other 30,000 were Registered Only: registered with the Dubai health regulator but holding no facility licence, so they cannot practise in Dubai until a facility activates one. Key findings:
- Nurses and midwives form the largest category on the register at 34,733 (35%), followed by allied health at 32,888 (33%)
- The register lists 661 physicians per 100K population, or 428 counting only full-time licence holders. Both are above the WHO-recommended threshold
- The nurse-to-physician ratio on the register is 1.44:1 (1.71:1 among full-time licence holders), below the WHO benchmark of 3:1
- 70% of registered professionals hold a full-time licence (FTL) at a Dubai facility, and 30% are Registered Only (REG), with no facility licence
Population Ratios
Based on estimated Dubai population of 3,660,000 (2026). These ratios count every record on the register. About 30% of those records are Registered Only, with no facility licence, so the practising workforce is smaller than the figures below suggest.
661
Physicians per 100K
WHO min: 100
949
Nurses per 100K
WHO min: 300
211
Dentists per 100K
Global avg: ~30
899
Allied Health per 100K
2719
Total per 100K
1:151
Physician-to-Population
1:105
Nurse-to-Population
1.44:1
Nurse-to-Physician Ratio
Workforce by Category
Physicians & Doctors
24,186
24% of register records
Dentists
7,713
8% of register records
Nurses & Midwives
34,733
35% of register records
Allied Health Professionals
32,888
33% of register records
Licence Type Distribution
69,410
Full-time licence (FTL)
70%: licensed full time at a Dubai facility
30,000
Registered only (REG)
30%: no active Dubai facility licence
An FTL holder is licensed full time at a Dubai facility and may also work at that facility's branches. A REG record means the professional has passed registration with the Dubai health regulator, which the regulator describes as the step before looking for a job, but is not currently licensed at a facility, so cannot practise in Dubai until a facility activates a licence. That can mean someone between jobs, newly registered or not yet hired.
Top 20 Facilities by Staff
View all 5,505 facilities ranked by staff count →
Top 20 Specialties by Workforce Size
| Specialty | Professionals | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nurse | 28,552 |
| 2 | Pharmacist | 9,388 |
| 3 | General Practitioner | 6,922 |
| 4 | Assistant Nurse | 5,725 |
| 5 | General Dentist | 5,102 |
| 6 | Physiotherapist | 3,563 |
| 7 | Medical Laboratory Technologist | 2,372 |
| 8 | Aesthetician & Beauty Therapist | 2,142 |
| 9 | Optometrist | 1,851 |
| 10 | Radiography Technologist | 1,591 |
| 11 | Obstetrics & Gynecology | 1,510 |
| 12 | Pediatrics | 1,228 |
| 13 | Medical Laboratory Technician | 1,211 |
| 14 | Family Medicine | 1,100 |
| 15 | Dermatology | 1,072 |
| 16 | Anesthesiology | 1,056 |
| 17 | Internal Medicine | 984 |
| 18 | Orthopedic Surgery | 917 |
| 19 | Dental Assistant | 841 |
| 20 | Pharmacy Technician | 832 |
View all 73 specialties ranked →
Specialist-to-Consultant Pipeline
Specialties where both "Specialist" and "Consultant" designations exist, showing the seniority pipeline.
| Specialty | Specialists | Consultants | Consultant % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 1,140 | 361 | 24% |
| Pediatrics | 915 | 306 | 25% |
| Family Medicine | 511 | 577 | 53% |
| Dermatology | 955 | 115 | 11% |
| Anesthesiology | 741 | 315 | 30% |
| Internal Medicine | 754 | 229 | 23% |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 595 | 322 | 35% |
| Orthodontics | 713 | 43 | 6% |
| General Surgery | 453 | 274 | 38% |
| Ophthalmology | 432 | 176 | 29% |
| ENT (Otolaryngology) | 408 | 151 | 27% |
| Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery | 316 | 202 | 39% |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 371 | 100 | 21% |
| Emergency Medicine | 302 | 119 | 28% |
| Cardiology | 263 | 129 | 33% |
Professionals Matched to an Area
Licensed professionals at facilities Zavis has matched to a Dubai area, for the 15 areas with the most matched records. 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.
| 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 |
View all areas with matched records →
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 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 lists approximately 661 physicians per 100,000 population (24,186 records against an estimated 3.66 million residents). Counting only the 15,654 physicians with an active full-time licence at a facility, the figure is about 428 per 100,000. Both exceed the WHO recommended minimum. The counts cover general practitioners, specialists, and consultants across all medical disciplines.
What is the nurse-to-physician ratio in Dubai?
On Dubai's medical register the nurse-to-physician ratio is approximately 1.44:1 (34,733 nurse and midwife records to 24,186 physician records). Among professionals with an active full-time licence at a facility it is about 1.71:1 (26,746 to 15,654). Both fall below the WHO benchmark of 3:1, indicating potential demand for nursing recruitment.
What do FTL and REG mean on the Dubai medical register?
FTL means Full-time License: a full-time licence held at a Dubai facility, which also lets the holder work at that facility's branches. REG means Registered Only: the professional has passed registration with the Dubai health regulator but holds no active licence at a Dubai facility, and cannot practise until a facility activates one. Part-time work has its own licence type, the Part-time License (PTL), which needs approval from the professional's full-time facility.
Where is this workforce data sourced from?
All data comes from the public register of licensed medical professionals kept by the Dubai health regulator, the official licensing database for healthcare workers in Dubai. Data was collected on 2026-04-03.
How often is the workforce data updated?
The register is a live database updated as professionals obtain or renew licenses. Zavis re-indexes the full registry periodically to capture changes in workforce composition, new hires, and departures.
Source: the public register of licensed medical professionals kept by the Dubai health regulator, read 2026-04-03. See data sources. This report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or employment advice. Verify credentials with the Dubai health regulator.