Dubai free zone profile
Dubai Healthcare City
The regulated home of clinics, hospitals and medical education. Located in Oud Metha, by Dubai Creek.
From
AED 18,000
Setup
2 to 6 weeks, longer for clinical licences
Ownership
100% foreign
Visas
Scales with premises
About DHCC
Dubai Healthcare City is a regulated healthcare district, not just an address. Its regulator, the DHCA, licenses clinical operators and professionals directly, and more than 160 clinical facilities operate inside the district alongside hospitals, teaching institutions and pharmacies.
For clinical businesses, incorporation and medical licensing run as parallel tracks: the free zone company holds the trade licence while the DHCA approves the facility, the practitioners and the clinical governance. The process is more involved than a standard formation, and realistic timelines matter.
Non-clinical healthcare businesses, from medtech distributors to healthcare consultancies and training providers, also licence here to sit inside the sector's ecosystem.
Licence types at DHCC
- Clinical operating licence. Clinics, day surgery, diagnostics and hospital services, regulated by the DHCA.
- Non-clinical licence. Healthcare consultancy, management and support services.
- Education licence. Medical and allied health training providers.
- Commercial licence. Medical device and pharmaceutical trading, subject to product approvals.
Offices and facilities
- Clinical fit-out units
- Offices
- Retail and pharmacy spaces
What DHCC costs
Indicative first-year cost for a non-clinical entity. Clinical operators budget separately for DHCA licensing and fit-out approvals. Budget from AED 18,000 for the first year, then add visa allocations, medicals and Emirates ID per person, and workspace if you upgrade beyond the entry package. Renewals typically come in below year-one totals. Our costs page breaks down every line item, and your written quote fixes the numbers before you pay.
Questions
DHCC questions, answered
How long does it take to open a clinic in DHCC?
Plan for three to six months from application to first patient, covering company formation, DHCA facility approval, practitioner licensing and fit-out inspection. We sequence the steps so none of them blocks the others longer than necessary.
Can doctors licensed elsewhere in Dubai practise in DHCC?
Practitioners need DHCA licensing to work inside the district. Credentials from DHA or MOH speed up the review but do not replace it.
Do non-clinical companies benefit from DHCC?
If your clients are hospitals, clinics and medical faculties, being licensed inside the district shortens the credibility conversation and puts you next to the buyers.
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