Healthcare and pharmacy jobs in the UAE

About healthcare and pharmacy jobs

Healthcare and pharmacy jobs cover patient care and the medicines industry: nurses, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, allied health professionals such as laboratory technologists, radiographers and physiotherapists, and pharmaceutical roles in sales, regulatory affairs and medical affairs. The UAE has a large and growing healthcare system that recruits internationally.

Public providers operate hospitals and clinics in each emirate, alongside a large private sector of hospital groups, specialist centres, clinics, pharmacies and laboratories. Dubai Healthcare City and Abu Dhabi's major hospitals host specialist services, while Al Ain, Sharjah and the northern emirates have both public and private facilities. Pharmaceutical companies and distributors base regional teams in Dubai, and local manufacturers operate in Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Every clinical professional needs a licence from the health regulator of the emirate where they will work: the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in Dubai, the Department of Health (DOH) in Abu Dhabi, and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) for the other emirates. Licensing involves verification of qualifications and experience and, for many professions, an assessment or exam.

Main roles

• Registered nurse, specialist nurse and midwife
• General practitioner, specialist and consultant
• Dentist
• Hospital, clinical and retail pharmacist
• Laboratory technologist, radiographer and physiotherapist
• Medical representative and regulatory affairs specialist

Sectors that are hiring in the UAE

• Public hospitals and health services
• Private hospital groups and clinics
• Pharmacies and laboratories
• Pharmaceutical and medical device companies
• Home healthcare and occupational health
• Universities and medical research

Licensing

Start your licensing application early: primary source verification of your degree, licence and experience can take several weeks. A licence issued by one regulator does not automatically allow you to work in another emirate, so check which authority covers the facility before applying.