What does UAE law say about medical errors?

Which law covers a medical error in your case?

Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 on Medical Liability. It applies to anyone who practises a medical profession in the UAE, and it came into force on 15 August 2016.¹ It replaced Federal Law No. 10 of 2008.¹

The law sets what a doctor must and must not do, defines a medical error, lists when a doctor is not liable, sets up the committees that decide complaints, requires malpractice insurance and sets criminal penalties.¹ Complaints go to the “health authority”, which the law defines as the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) or any federal or local government body in charge of health.¹

Several other texts sit around it. Table 1 lists them.^2,3,4,5,6

Find the health authority that licensed your hospital or clinic with the complaint finder.

Does the 2023 amendment change your complaint?

Only if it concerns assisted reproduction or abortion. The one amendment to the law, dated 4 September 2023, rewrote Article 14 on assisted reproduction and Article 16 on abortion and changed nothing else.² Al Tamimi & Company reported the amending law as Federal Decree-Law No. 18 of 2023 and said it came into force on 16 September 2023.⁷

The new Article 16 allows an abortion where the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life, in a government facility or a private one authorised to carry out abortions. It also allows one where a medical committee of at least three consultants confirms a serious fetal deformity. The Cabinet may add other cases.⁸

If your complaint involves either article, read the 2023 wording on the Arabic page of the law.

What do the executive regulations add?

The detail the Decree-Law leaves out. Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019 took effect on 16 July 2019.³

• Article 5 sets the test for a gross medical error. See gross medical error.³
• Article 3 says what you must be told before surgery, and applies the same rules to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. See informed consent.³
• Article 8 says a complaint may be on paper or electronic, and must be in Arabic or come with an Arabic translation.³
• Articles 9 to 15 set up a medical liability committee at each health authority and say how it meets, votes and delivers its report.³

Read medical liability committees before you file.

Who hears an appeal against a committee report?

The Higher Committee for Medical Liability, called the Supreme Committee of Medical Liability in the English text. Cabinet Resolution No. 14 of 2020 set its rules and took effect on 12 March 2020.⁴ Its members are medical consultants, its office is at MOHAP and its term is three years.⁴ Cabinet Resolution No. 74 of 2022 amended one article, on members’ pay.⁹

Read appealing a committee report as soon as you receive a report.

Which law gives you a copy of your medical file?

Federal Law No. 5 of 2019, which regulates the practice of medicine and took effect on 30 May 2019.⁵ Article 22 says the doctor must give you a detailed medical report and the facility must give you a copy of your medical file. You, your custodian, guardian, trustee or legal agent can ask.⁵

Ask for your file with the records request letter.

Which law decides your compensation?

The Civil Transactions Law, which changed on 1 June 2026. Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 came into force that day and repealed Federal Law No. 5 of 1985.⁶ Under the medical liability law, a court will not accept a compensation claim for medical liability until the case has been referred to a medical liability committee.¹

Under Article 259 of the new law, where diya (blood money) or arsh is due, a court may on request also award compensation for material and moral harm that the diya or arsh does not cover.⁶ Article 299 of the old law said diya or arsh was not payable in addition to compensation unless the parties agreed otherwise.¹⁰

The new law does not apply to earlier facts and acts unless it says otherwise, and its time-limit rules apply to any period not yet complete on 1 June 2026.⁶ If your treatment was before 1 June 2026, ask the court which law it applies to your claim.

Read compensation for what a court can award.

The small print

• Dates. The Decree-Law was issued on 2 August 2016 and published in Official Gazette No. 601 on 15 August 2016.¹ Article 42 repealed Federal Law No. 10 of 2008.¹ The executive regulations repealed Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2009 (Article 19).³
• Amendment dates. The legislation portal dates the amendment 4 September 2023.² Al Tamimi & Company gave 16 September 2023 as the date it came into force.⁷
• English and Arabic. The English texts are translations and the Arabic text prevails in a conflict.¹ The English page of the Decree-Law does not show Articles 14 and 16. The Arabic page shows their 2023 wording.^1,8
• Article 25. The English text puts liability for a visiting doctor’s error on the “health authority” receiving the doctor. The Arabic text says the “health facility” (المنشأة الصحية).^1,8
• Article 32. The English text sets a fine of not less than AED 10,000 for breaching Article 5(2) or 5(10). The Arabic text sets AED 10,000 to AED 100,000.^1,8
• Higher Committee vote. Article 6 of Cabinet Resolution No. 14 of 2020 says in English that a serious error needs approval by one-third of members present. The Arabic text says two-thirds (ثلثي).^4,11