Doctors and dentists from countries in South America, Eastern Europe, and West Africa, among others, can now apply for a licence to practice in the Dubai Healthcare City, DHCC, in accordance with new guidelines announced by the free zone’s regulator, Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulatory.

This year, ten new countries and regions, including Colombia, Cyprus, Estonia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Slovenia, West Africa and the West Indies, have been added to the DHCC’s licencing framework. With these new jurisdictions, the DHCC now recognises the qualifications of healthcare professionals from more than 100 countries.

Increasing interest from professionals from these regions has been taken into consideration, as well as stringent standards, explained Dr. Ramadan AlBlooshi, Chief Regulatory Officer, Dubai Healthcare City Authority. "To strengthen our licencing framework, we consider several factors in critical areas, such as certification by accredited institutions and boards, as well as benchmarking and international standards. We evaluate professional qualifications, clinical experience and publications," he said, adding, "We remain committed to diversifying and expanding the talent pool of healthcare professionals in the free zone."

The demand for qualified healthcare professionals in Dubai is expected to increase, as the UAE prepares to welcome more than 25 million visitors for Expo 2020. In this context, the free zone is working towards increasing quality care offerings through multicultural and multilingual specialists to cater to both local and visitor populations. Currently, the DHCC community has more than 4,200 licenced professionals from 111 countries who speak some 40 languages.

Along with expanding the licencing framework, the DHCC has introduced guidelines for consultant titles, offering much-needed flexibility for physicians and dentists seeking this title. The DHCC now recognises any globally recognised clinical journal. Previously, it was only MEDLINE, a US-based digital library of life sciences and biomedical information.

In doing so, the DHCC contributes to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who, in his Fifty-Year Charter, mandates "A Doctor For Every Citizen".