Last verified: 17 June 2026 · Cluster: geo-abudhabi
Abu Dhabi requires all residents to hold health insurance under Abu Dhabi Law No. 23/2005, regulated by the Department of Health. UAE nationals receive Thiqa cover through Daman. Expat residents must be covered by their employer or sponsor. Plans must meet DoH minimum standards, which differ from Dubai's DHA EBP requirements.
Abu Dhabi has required health insurance for residents since June 2006, making it the first emirate in the UAE to mandate coverage. The legal basis is Abu Dhabi Law No. 23 of 2005 Regarding the Health Insurance Scheme for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The regulator enforcing the law is the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH), formerly called the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD). The DoH sets minimum benefit standards, licences the insurers who can sell health policies in Abu Dhabi and enforces compliance with the mandate.
The law covers all residents of Abu Dhabi, whether UAE nationals or expatriates. For nationals, the government provides Thiqa cover through Daman, the National Health Insurance Company. For expatriate employees, the responsibility falls on the employer. For expatriate residents who are sponsored by a family member rather than an employer, the responsibility falls on the sponsor. A lapse in health insurance is grounds for the visa not being renewed.
The minimum benefit standards under the Abu Dhabi DoH mandate require plans to include GP and specialist consultations, emergency treatment, inpatient care, outpatient care, maternity services and prescribed medications. This is a broader baseline than what Dubai's EBP requires of lower-income employees, partly because Abu Dhabi's law also extends mandatory coverage to the employee's family.
The overarching insurance regulator for all UAE insurers remains the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) under Decretal Federal Law No. 25/2020. The DoH regulates the health benefit side; the CBUAE regulates the insurers themselves.
Thiqa is the health insurance programme for UAE nationals resident in Abu Dhabi. It is funded by the Abu Dhabi government and administered by Daman, the National Health Insurance Company, which was established in 2005 specifically to administer the Abu Dhabi health mandate. Daman remains the largest health insurer in Abu Dhabi by enrolled members.
Under Thiqa, UAE nationals receive access to a wide network of public hospitals and clinics across Abu Dhabi at no or minimal cost, along with access to many private facilities that have joined the Thiqa network. The programme covers the national and their enrolled family members. Most nationals do not supplement Thiqa with a private plan, though some choose to do so for access to specialist private hospitals or overseas treatment outside the Thiqa network.
Thiqa does not apply to UAE nationals living in Dubai or the other emirates; those nationals are covered under the DHA framework or the relevant emirate's rules. And it does not apply to expatriate residents in Abu Dhabi. What is Thiqa health insurance in Abu Dhabi and who qualifies for it? Only UAE nationals registered as residents in Abu Dhabi.
Under Abu Dhabi Law No. 23/2005, an employer in Abu Dhabi must provide health cover for the employee, one spouse and up to three children under 18. This scope is broader than the Dubai mandate, which covers the employee only and leaves dependants to the employee's account.
The plan must meet DoH minimum benefit standards. Employers cannot provide a plan that covers only inpatient or only emergency treatment; the full scope of required benefits must be included. Employers typically fulfil this obligation through a group health policy placed with a DoH-approved insurer. Daman is the dominant provider for group plans in Abu Dhabi, though other DoH-approved insurers operate in the market.
When an employee leaves a company, cover ends. A gap between jobs can leave an expatriate and their family without cover. The standard practice is for the new employer's group plan to activate at the start of employment. If there is a gap, individual or short-term cover is the answer. Letting cover lapse is not just a financial risk: a health insurance certificate is required documentation for Abu Dhabi visa renewal.
How does the Abu Dhabi health insurance mandate work and how does it differ from Dubai's DHA rules? The two mandates share the same goal but operate differently in several respects that matter if you are moving between emirates or comparing the cost of covering a family.
Timeline. Abu Dhabi's mandate came into effect in June 2006. Dubai's mandate followed in 2013 and reached full enforcement in 2016. Abu Dhabi had roughly a decade of mandatory health insurance before Dubai's system was complete.
Scope of family cover. Abu Dhabi requires employers to cover the employee, one spouse and up to three children under 18. Dubai requires employers to cover the employee only. A family living in Dubai is more likely to face an out-of-pocket premium for dependant cover than a family in Abu Dhabi.
National cover. Abu Dhabi provides Thiqa for UAE nationals, funded by the government and administered by Daman. Dubai has no direct equivalent; UAE nationals in Dubai are insured through employer group plans, individual policies or other mechanisms under the DHA framework.
Minimum plan standards. Dubai's minimum is the EBP: AED 150,000 annual limit, 20% co-pay, employer premium band of AED 650–725 per year (2024–25, DHA). Abu Dhabi's DoH sets qualitative minimum benefit standards that do not use the EBP framework or publish a comparable fixed premium band.
Insurer licensing. Insurers need DoH approval to sell health products in Abu Dhabi, and DHA approval to sell products in Dubai. A UAE-wide plan must comply with both sets of requirements.
If you are moving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, check whether your current plan includes Abu Dhabi hospitals in its direct billing network before the move. I am moving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi: does my existing health insurance still work or do I need a new plan? Some UAE-wide plans cover both emirates within one network; others maintain separate panels. A plan that worked for routine GP visits in Dubai may leave you out-of-network in Abu Dhabi, even if emergency treatment remains covered. If your employer is changing as part of the move, a new group plan will typically be arranged by the Abu Dhabi employer.
Information only, not regulated financial advice. InsureCompare.ae is not licensed by the CBUAE to advise on insurance products. Mandate details sourced from Abu Dhabi Law No. 23/2005 and the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (doh.gov.ae, verified June 2026). Daman programme details sourced from damanhealth.ae. Always confirm current requirements directly with the DoH or your insurer.
Abu Dhabi's mandate comes from Law No. 23/2005, regulated by the Department of Health (DoH). It requires employers to cover the employee, one spouse and up to three children under 18. Dubai's mandate comes from Law No. 11/2013, regulated by the DHA; it covers the employee only. Abu Dhabi's mandate predates Dubai's by about eight years and covers a broader scope of family members by law.
Thiqa is the health insurance programme for UAE nationals resident in Abu Dhabi, administered by Daman (the National Health Insurance Company) and funded by the Abu Dhabi government. Only UAE nationals registered as residents in Abu Dhabi qualify. Expatriate residents must be covered by their employer or sponsor under Law No. 23/2005.
It depends on your insurer and plan. Some UAE-wide plans include hospitals in both emirates in their direct billing network. Others maintain separate Dubai and Abu Dhabi panels. Check whether your current plan covers Abu Dhabi facilities before relocating. If your employer is changing as part of the move, a new group plan will typically be arranged by the Abu Dhabi employer.
The Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH), formerly the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD). The DoH sets minimum benefit standards, licences health insurers operating in Abu Dhabi and enforces the Law No. 23/2005 mandate. The overarching insurance regulator for all UAE insurers is the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) under Decretal Federal Law No. 25/2020.
Abu Dhabi's DoH minimum benefit standard requires cover for GP and specialist consultations, emergency treatment, inpatient care, outpatient care, maternity and prescribed medications. This differs from Dubai's EBP, which sets a specific AED 150,000 annual limit and 20% co-pay as a named product tier. Abu Dhabi's minimum standards are qualitative requirements set by the DoH.
No. UAE nationals resident in Abu Dhabi are covered by Thiqa, the government-funded programme administered by Daman. They do not need to purchase private health insurance to meet the mandate, though some nationals choose to supplement Thiqa with a private plan for access to a wider network of private hospitals or overseas treatment options.
Get indicative quotes from DoH-compliant insurers. Premiums shown are indicative; confirm cover and price directly with the insurer.
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