Written by
Dr. Asmaa Al-NajjarFounder, MedProp
Dr. Asmaa Al-Najjar is the founder of MedProp, the strategic arm of MedStream. She combines a medical background with strategic economic expertise, and established MedProp to bridge traditional healthcare sectors with the future of digital health and investment across the UAE.
Two emirates, two regulators, two payer models. How DHA and DoH differ, why Thiqa and medical tourism pull in opposite directions, and which questions actually decide an acquisition.
Abu Dhabi is regulated by the DoH, not the DHA. What changes: TAMM instead of Sheryan, Malaffi instead of NABIDH, FANR for imaging, and a Thiqa network of roughly 46 facilities.
Mandatory health cover made insurer panels the gate between a clinic and its market. Why unpanelled facilities are discounted, why panels do not simply transfer, and how to diligence payer mix.
An ordinary commercial unit does not become a clinic just because you spend money on it. The four approvals, the March 2026 space standards, and where healthcare fit-out projects actually fail.
A property valuation tells you what the premises are worth, not what your practice is worth. How UAE buyers price clinics, why goodwill decides your multiple, and what to fix before you sell.
Buying a clinic in Dubai means acquiring a licence, not just a lease. What the DHA will refuse to transfer, the four approvals involved, and the due-diligence workstreams that actually matter.