Does your doctor have to be insured against medical errors, and can you claim from that insurer?

Does your doctor have to be insured?

Yes. The Medical Liability Law says the profession may not be practised in the UAE without insurance against civil liability for medical errors, with an insurer licensed in the UAE.¹ The facility owner must insure the practitioners who work there and pays all the premiums.¹

The Executive Regulations say a facility must put the insurance in place before a practitioner starts work and renew it when it expires.² Interns must be insured too.³

Note the full name of the facility and of every practitioner who treated you.

Who pays you if a visiting doctor made the error?

The facility that received the visiting doctor. The Arabic text of Article 25 makes the health facility responsible for compensating the injured person for the visiting doctor’s error, with the right to recover the cost from the doctor.⁴

Ask the facility whether the doctor who treated you was a visiting doctor, and name both in your complaint.

How do you know your doctor’s insurance is in place?

In Dubai, a licence is not activated without it. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Licensing Manual, in force from 30 September 2026, says a professional must have malpractice insurance for a licence to be activated (rule 11.8).⁵ The insurance must be maintained throughout the professional’s practice and must name the professional, specialty, employing facility and cover (rule 5.17).⁵ Failing to show proof of insurance for the licence period may lead to disciplinary action against the facility or the professional.⁵

In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) privileging standard of July 2025 says a facility should withdraw a professional’s clinical privileges immediately if their DoH licence or malpractice insurance policy expires.⁶

The licence check guide shows where to confirm a doctor’s licence.

How much cover must your doctor have?

The Medical Liability Law does not set an amount. Its Articles 25 to 27, and Article 17 of its Executive Regulations, require the insurance without a minimum.^1,2 The DHA Licensing Manual does not set one either.⁵

Dubai Healthcare City, a free zone, sets minimums for professionals it licenses:

• medical and dental professionals: at least AED 1,000,000 per claim and AED 3,000,000 a year in total;⁷
• complementary and alternative medicine, nursing, allied health, trainees and faculty: at least AED 500,000 per claim and AED 1,000,000 a year.⁷

These limits apply only in the free zone. Ask the facility what cover its policy holds.

Can you claim directly from the doctor’s insurer?

It is not settled. Reported court rulings point both ways.

• Abu Dhabi, 2021. Khaleej Times reported on 21 January 2021 that an Abu Dhabi court ordered a medical centre, a doctor, a nurse and an insurance company to pay Dh170,000 to a woman burned during laser treatment.⁸
• Al Ain, 2025. Khaleej Times reported on 11 October 2025 that the dentist and clinic tried to add their insurer to the case, and the court said insurance disputes must first go to the official insurance dispute committee before court.⁹
• Dubai, 2025. Al Tamimi & Company reported that in the case behind Judgment No. 377 of 2025, the doctor and medical centre added their insurer as a third party, and the Court of First Instance dismissed that because it had not been brought through the procedure the law requires.¹⁰

The law says insurers stand in the place of the facilities and insured people in their rights and obligations (Article 27).¹ It does not say how a patient brings a claim against the insurer.

Ask the facility in writing for its insurer’s name and policy number.

The small print

• Articles. Article 25 requires insurance and covers visiting doctors. Article 26 puts the duty and the premiums on the facility owner. Article 27 subrogates insurers.¹ Article 17 of Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019 covers timing and renewal.² Article 16 of Federal Law No. 5 of 2019 covers interns.³
• Arabic and English texts. The official English translation of Article 25 says “the health authority receiving a visiting doctor” is responsible.¹ The Arabic text says the health facility (المنشأة الصحية).⁴ The Arabic text prevails.
• DHCC policy. Clauses 4.8 and 4.9 set the minimum limits.⁷
• DoH standard. Clause 3.4.1.1.⁶