A clinic website in Dubai has to follow the Dubai Health Authority’s Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media (2022): no words such as “the best”, “100%” or “no side effects”, written patient consent for any photo or testimonial, and a set disclaimer under every before-and-after image. The same standard says a facility’s official account must show its medical advertisement licence number from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), and MOHAP runs a separate licence service for health advertising on websites, so check with both before you publish.
This is a practical guide for clinic owners, practice managers and beauty businesses that offer medical treatments. It is not legal advice. Your medical director carries responsibility for what is published, so use this to prepare, and confirm the details with DHA or MOHAP.
Does my clinic website need an advertising permit in the UAE?
There are two layers. The first is content: DHA’s standard sets out what licensed facilities and professionals may and may not say in medical advertising. It is written for social media, but its definition is broad and includes websites used for sharing information, images and video, and the rules are a sensible test for any page that promotes a treatment.
The second is licensing. Section 5.2 of the DHA standard says the official account of a health facility must state the medical advertisement licence number provided by MOHAP. MOHAP’s service list includes a licence for healthcare advertisements on a website or digital link, applied for online with UAE PASS. Fees, documents and which facilities need it can change, so check the current service page or call MOHAP before your site goes live. Clinics licensed by the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi or by the regulator in Dubai Healthcare City should check their own authority’s rules too.
💡 Treat your website as an advert that needs sign-off. Get the licence question answered in writing, show the number on the site, and let your medical director approve every treatment page before launch.
What can a Dubai clinic website say, and what must it avoid?
Appendix 1 of the DHA standard lists acceptable and unacceptable content side by side. This table turns it into website terms.
| Website element | Acceptable under the DHA standard | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment pages | A factual, clear description of the service | Promises of guaranteed results or claims that results are always effective |
| Risks | A clearly visible warning for surgical and invasive procedures, and the risks of non-invasive ones | Leaving risks out, or hiding them in small print |
| Prices | Fees, insurance accepted and instalment plans you regularly offer | Prices without conditions, or time-limited offers you cannot honour |
| Doctor profiles | Name, title, qualifications, specialty and accreditations as on the DHA licence | Titles that differ from the licence, or claims of superiority over other doctors |
| Photos | Non-enhanced photos of the clinic and team | Edited images, or images of people who did not receive the treatment |
| Contact and hours | Phone, email, website, opening hours and after-hours service | Unsolicited appointment times the patient did not ask for |
| Languages | The languages your doctors and staff speak fluently | Nothing to avoid here; it helps patients choose |
Which words are banned in Dubai medical advertising?
Section 6.11 of the DHA standard lists absolute and exaggerated expressions that must not be used. Many of them are the stock phrases of beauty marketing, which is why so many clinic sites break the rule without noticing. The list includes:
- 1unique, one of a kind, the only, exclusive, incomparable, unprecedented
- 2the best, best product, safest, distinguished, famous, pioneer
- 3magic, miraculous, assured success, absolutely certain, 100%
- 4has no side effects, immediate results, get money back
- 5very limited quantity
Appendix 1 adds phrases such as “don’t delay”, “achieve the look you want” and “looking better and feeling more confident” as examples of wording that can create unrealistic expectations. The fix is not hard: describe what the treatment is, who it suits, how many sessions it usually takes, what it costs and what the risks are. That is also the kind of plain, specific text that search engines and AI assistants can understand and quote.
What are the rules for before-and-after photos?
Before-and-after galleries sell aesthetic treatments, and they are where the most specific rules apply. Under sections 6.10 and 9 of the DHA standard (with the child-consent rule in section 8):
- 1Get documented, written consent from every patient whose photo, video or statement you use, limited to the purpose and period they agreed to.
- 2For patients under 18, get verifiable consent from a parent.
- 3Both photos must show the same person, taken with the same lens, with no editing software enhancements.
- 4Each pair must carry the statement “there is no guarantee that the result will be the same, as it might vary from one individual to another”, plus the risks, in the same font size as the rest of the content.
- 5Only show patients who actually received the treatment advertised.
- 6No filming or live streaming of patients during surgery under general anaesthesia or in procedure rooms for promotion.
On a website, the simplest way to stay inside these rules is to build the disclaimer into the gallery itself, so it appears under every image automatically and nobody has to remember to add it.
Beauty salon or medical clinic: which titles can I use?
Many Dubai businesses sit between beauty and medicine: a salon that offers laser hair removal, or a clinic that also does facials. The DHA standard is strict about titles. Section 6.1 says licensed staff must not use names or specialty titles different from their DHA licence, giving examples such as “Aesthetic Specialist”, “Cosmetologist” and “Anti-Aging Consultant”. Section 6.2 limits “Dr.” to physicians, dentists and holders of a recognised PhD.
For a website this means two things. Team pages should copy each person’s title exactly from their licence. And if your business is a beauty salon rather than a licensed health facility, do not describe services in ways that suggest medical treatment you are not licensed to give. If you are unsure which side of the line a service falls on, ask your licensing authority before you write the page.
How should a clinic take bookings on WhatsApp?
Patients in the UAE often prefer to message, and a WhatsApp button on every page is simple and effective. The care is in what you ask for. Section 7.1.7 of the DHA standard tells medical directors to avoid social media discussions with patients who may disclose their health information. Health data in the UAE is also covered by its own legislation, including Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 on the use of ICT in health fields.
- 1Set the pre-filled WhatsApp message to ask for a name, preferred date and which service, nothing about symptoms or history.
- 2Keep booking forms just as short: name, phone, preferred time, treatment of interest.
- 3Collect medical history at the clinic or through a secure patient system, not over chat or an open web form.
- 4Use a clinic number, not a staff member’s personal phone, as section 7.1.2 of the standard expects separate professional and personal accounts.
- 5Say on the privacy page what you collect through the website and why.
If you want patients to choose a slot themselves, online booking is available as an add-on with Adyft Sites for AED 1,499 plus AED 89 a month.
Worked example: a skin and laser clinic in Jumeirah
Picture a three-room clinic with two DHA-licensed dermatologists and two laser therapists, offering consultations, laser hair removal, chemical peels and injectables. Its patients find it on Google Maps, check Instagram, then message on WhatsApp. Here is how its website could be planned:
- 1Home: what the clinic treats, the area it serves, opening hours, the MOHAP advertisement licence number in the footer, and a WhatsApp button.
- 2Four treatment pages: each with who it suits, typical number of sessions, price from, the risk statement and an FAQ written by the doctors.
- 3Doctors and team: names, titles and qualifications copied from each DHA licence, with unedited photos.
- 4Results: a before-and-after gallery with written consent on file for each patient and the required disclaimer under every pair.
- 5Contact: map, parking notes, hours, languages spoken, insurance accepted, and a short booking form.
- 6Free extras: an FAQ page, a privacy page and a contact page.
That fits the Starter plan, or Growth if the clinic wants a page for every treatment and area. Before launch, the medical director reads and signs off every page. That step cannot be outsourced, and any web provider who says otherwise is not being straight with you.
What does a clinic website cost in Dubai?
Published UAE price guides (2026) put business websites at about AED 999 with a freelancer up to AED 8,000–25,000 with an agency. Clinic sites usually land in the middle or upper part of that range, because treatment pages need careful writing and review. Adyft Sites in the UAE is AED 3,499 plus AED 199 a month for Starter (5 pages, live in under 7 days) and AED 7,999 plus AED 449 a month for Growth (25 pages). We write every page in plain language, add the licence number and disclaimers you give us, set the site up to be found on Google and read by AI assistants, host and secure it, and make small changes when you send them on WhatsApp. FAQ, Contact and Privacy pages are free.
When is Adyft not the right fit? A hospital group needing patient portals, insurance integrations or a full electronic records link needs a custom build. Ask us on a free call, but expect a different kind of project.
Questions about clinic websites in Dubai
Do DHA advertising standards apply to clinic websites?
The DHA standard is written for social media, but its definition of social media includes websites used to share information, images and video. Treat it as the content test for every page that promotes a treatment, and confirm specifics with DHA.
Where should the medical advertisement licence number go?
The DHA standard says a facility’s official account must state its MOHAP medical advertisement licence number. On a website, the footer of every page is the usual place, so it is visible wherever a patient lands.
Can I show before-and-after photos on my clinic website?
Yes, with written patient consent, unedited images of the same person taken with the same lens, and the DHA statement that results might vary from one individual to another, plus the risks, in the same font size as the rest of the text.
Can I use patient reviews on my website?
The DHA standard prohibits patient testimonials without written patient consent. Keep the consent on file, never edit a review to make it stronger, and avoid testimonials that promise outcomes.
Is it fine to say “painless” or “no downtime”?
Be careful. “Has no side effects” and “immediate results” are on DHA’s banned list, and the standard warns against statements about recovery time that may create unrealistic expectations. Describe typical experience and risks factually instead.
Can patients book appointments through WhatsApp?
Yes, but ask only for booking details such as name, date and service. The DHA standard tells medical directors to avoid social media discussions where patients disclose health information, so take medical history at the clinic.
Sources: Dubai Health Authority, Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media v1.1 (2022) — https://www.dha.gov.ae/uploads/042022/Standards%20for%20Medical%20Advertisement%20Content%20in%20Social%20Media2022433965.pdf · MOHAP, healthcare advertisement licence services — https://mohap.gov.ae/en/services/license-for-healthcare-advertisement-on-social-media · MOHAP, licence for a healthcare advertisement on a website or digital link (infographic) — https://mohap.gov.ae/assets/download/4d34047a/Infographic%20-%20License%20for%20a%20Healthcare%20Advertisement%20on%20a%20Website%20or%20Digital%20Link%20-%20PDF%20361KB.pdf.aspx · UAE Government portal, data protection laws — https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/digital-uae/data/data-protection-laws
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