How is Telehealth Regulated in the UAE?

Telehealth services in the United Arab Emirates are governed by a comprehensive framework of federal legislation and emirate-level regulations.

This structure ensures compliance with standards for licensing, data protection, patient safety, and service delivery across remote healthcare provision, including teleconsultation, telediagnosis, telemonitoring, and tele-prescription.

Principal regulatory authorities include the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) at the federal level, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) for Dubai, and the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH) for Abu Dhabi.

Federal Regulatory Framework

At the federal level, telehealth is covered by specific legislation which establishes general controls for remote health services applicable across all emirates. Only facilities with the necessary authorisations may provide services such as remote consultation, diagnosis, treatment, prescription issuance and patient monitoring.

Practitioners must uphold the same standard of care as in-person services and avoid telehealth where physical examination is essential or the patient's condition is unstable or life-threatening.

Telepharmacy requires approval and compliance with specific guidelines, including prescription verification processes.

Informed consent is required, and medical records must be securely documented, stored, and integrated into the patient's health records, with systems ensuring confidentiality, data integrity, and secure transmission. Laws relating to data localisation, telecommunications, advertising and personal data protection, among others, also apply.

Emirate-Level Regulations

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have dedicated telehealth policies, standards and licensing requirements, while the northern emirates follow MOHAP's oversight.

Federal law prevails in cases of inconsistency. Telehealth providers must meet MOHAP's clinical, interoperability and data protection requirements.

Technical and Data Security Standards

Technical infrastructure must also comply with standards specified by various government authorities, including as to encryption, multi-factor authentication, and approved communication tools. As a leading technology law firm, ensure that servers are UAE-based with appropriate certification and that platforms remain accessible in both Arabic and English.