Medical Advertising Rules in Dubai: What Clinics Can Post on Video

In Dubai, clinic ads on social media must follow the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) standard for medical advertising. The health advertising licence comes from the federal Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), which says approval takes 1 to 3 working days. Before-and-after posts, testimonials, prices and influencers have strict conditions. Doctor Q&A videos, FAQs and clinic tours are allowed.

Updated 6 October 2026. This article summarises official documents. It is not legal advice: rules change, so check with the DHA or MOHAP before you post or film.

Who regulates medical advertising in Dubai?

For a DHA-licensed clinic or doctor, 3 bodies matter. The DHA decides what you can say and show, MOHAP issues the health advertising licence, and the National Media Authority (NMA) issues permits to people who post ads on social media.

• DHA. Its Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media (code DHA/HRS/HPSD/ST-21, version 1.1) have applied since 3 October 2022. On 17 August 2026, a DHA circular sent the standard again to private health facilities and professionals in Dubai and warned of disciplinary action for non-compliance.
• MOHAP. The federal ministry issues health advertising licences. The DHA standard asks every clinic to show its MOHAP advertising licence number on its official account (section 5.2).
• National Media Authority (NMA), formerly the UAE Media Council. It issues the Advertiser Permit to anyone who advertises on social media, paid or not. A DHA circular dated 23 August 2025 bans health ads through content creators or influencers who do not hold this permit.

Is your clinic in Dubai Healthcare City? Then your regulator is DHCR, which approves ads before MOHAP does.

These rules also cover a doctor's own account. That is where personal branding in Dubai starts for doctors, dentists and surgeons.

Do you need a DHA advertising permit?

Yes. The advertising licence the DHA standard refers to is issued by MOHAP (section 5.2). On top of that, the clinic's medical director must approve every post that names the clinic or its location (section 5.3).

How to get the MOHAP health advertising licence

1. Log in to the MOHAP website or app with UAE PASS.
2. Register your clinic in the advertising licensing system. You do this only at the start, with the medical licence, the trade licence and the Emirates ID of the person in charge of advertising.
3. Submit the ad. Depending on the format, MOHAP may ask for the design, text, images or storyboard. For a video, write the script before you film.
4. Pay the application fee. It is non-refundable.
5. MOHAP approves the ad or asks for changes. The MOHAP Services Guide states 1 to 3 working days.
6. After approval, pay the licence fee within 10 calendar days. If you do not, the request is cancelled.
7. Get the licence from the MOHAP website or app. It shows its start and end dates.

Keep 3 points in mind. You can open only 1 account per clinic, and duplicate accounts are frozen. Ads in a language other than Arabic or English need a legal translation into Arabic or English.

MOHAP only says that fees vary by request. Check the amount when you apply, before you set your budget.

What the medical director signs off

Any post that names the clinic or its location needs the medical director's approval, even when a doctor, a staff member or an influencer publishes it (section 5.3). The clinic is responsible for everything filmed on its premises, on a professional camera or a phone (section 5.5).

A doctor who promotes only their own services, without naming the clinic, is responsible for their professional account (section 5.6). Visiting doctors who also work abroad need a separate account for Dubai (section 5.7).

The NMA Advertiser Permit is explained in detail in our guide to the influencer license in Dubai.

What the DHA allows: before-and-after, testimonials, prices

None of these is banned outright. Each comes with clear conditions.

Before-and-after photos and videos

Use the same person and the same lens, with no Photoshop or similar editing (section 9.6). Copy the exact statement from that section on results varying between people, then the risks, in the same font size as the rest of the post. Images must show patients who actually had the treatment (Appendix 2).

Patient testimonials

A testimonial without the patient's written consent is banned (Appendix 2). Consent covers a set purpose and a set period of time (section 6.10.1). A testimonial must not compare different health professions (Appendix 1).

Prices, offers and discounts

You can state fees, instalment plans and the insurance plans you accept (Appendix 1). If you show a price in AED, show its conditions too.

Inaccurate prices and time-limited discounts you cannot honour are not acceptable. "Very limited quantity" and "get money back" are on the banned list (section 6.11), and offering a trial of a medical service is banned (Appendix 2).

Words you cannot use

Section 6.11 bans words such as "the best", "the only", "safest", "exclusive", "unique", "magic", "miraculous", "100%", "no side effects", "immediate results", "famous" and "pioneer". Appendix 1 also rejects lines that create unrealistic expectations, like "don't delay", "achieve the look you want" or "looking better and feeling more confident".

Influencers and content creators

The influencer needs an Advertiser Permit from the NMA (DHA circular of 23 August 2025). Their content goes through your medical director (section 5.3). The NMA requires permit holders to show their permit number on their accounts, so check it before you sign.

Inviting a creator on a visit visa? They need a Visitor Advertiser Permit, valid for 3 months and renewable up to 6 months in total. Only a licensed advertising or talent management agency in the UAE can apply for it.

Clinic video rules in Dubai: what is allowed?

Here is a summary. References point to the DHA standard ST-21 unless stated otherwise.

The 11 types of content in the table, at a glance

Allowed4 of 11

Allowed with conditions4 of 11

Not allowed3 of 11

Aesthetic clinic marketing in Dubai: 5 video formats that work

The videos that work are the ones where the doctor speaks, with facts. They also match what the DHA lists as acceptable: clear service information, qualifications, languages spoken, opening hours and unedited images of the clinic (Appendix 1).

1. Doctor Q&A

Take the questions patients ask in consultation: "Does it hurt?", "When can I go back to the gym?". Answer in under 60 seconds. The standard asks you to say whether the answer comes from studies, expert consensus or your own experience (section 8.1.6).

Be careful with recovery times. A short, certain recovery time can count as an unrealistic expectation (Appendix 1).

2. Procedure explainer

Explain the steps, who the treatment is for and the risks. You cannot film a patient during the procedure, so use a diagram, an anatomical model or simple animation.

3. Clinic tour

Patients want to see where they will be treated. Film before opening hours, with empty rooms and screens off, and do not retouch the images.

4. Meet the team

Each doctor gives their exact name, title and specialty. Say which languages each person speaks. The DHA lists this as acceptable content (Appendix 1), and it helps patients who prefer French, Russian or Hindi.

5. FAQ series

1 question per video. Post on Instagram and TikTok, then reuse the videos on your website and Google Business Profile.

If you put ad budget behind them, the same rules apply. See how our video production company in Dubai plans ad creatives.

How to prepare a video shoot in a Dubai clinic

Have the script approved, consent forms signed and the rooms ready before the crew arrives. Follow these steps in order.

1. Check the MOHAP licence. The number must show on the clinic's official account (section 5.2).
2. Get the script approved. The medical director approves any content that names the clinic (section 5.3). Keep the approved version.
3. Collect written consent. Everyone on camera signs a consent form that states the purpose and the period of use (sections 6.10 and 9.1). For anyone under 18, you need verifiable consent from a parent (section 8.1.12).
4. Protect patient privacy. Screens off, files away, schedules hidden, waiting room out of frame. Any information that identifies a patient is banned (Appendix 2).
5. Follow the clinic's hygiene protocol. Ask the person in charge where the crew can put equipment and which areas to avoid.
6. Film away from procedures. No patient in surgery, under general anaesthesia or in a procedure room (section 9.7).
7. Check the edit. Exact titles, risks stated, no banned words, no DHA logo without written approval (section 7.2). Archive every published version, because the standard asks clinics to keep posts and their edits for audit (section 7.1.13).

If part of the shoot happens outside the clinic, in a street or a mall, plan a filming permit.

What we prepare before a clinic shoot

At KOSMOS, we get the script approved by the clinic before we film. A shot rejected after filming is a shot you film again.

Before the shoot, we ask for 3 things: each doctor's exact name and title as shown on the DHA licence, the medical director's contact, and the clinic's consent form. We write scripts from the questions doctors hear in consultation, then send them for review before we book the date.

Common mistakes on clinic accounts:

• An on-screen title that is not on the licence, like "aesthetic expert".
• A computer screen or appointment list readable behind the doctor.
• Someone in the waiting room filmed without consent.
• A before-and-after with different lighting or a filter on 1 of the 2 images.
• A caption added at the last minute that says "immediate results".
• An international account that reposts videos of patients treated in Dubai.

KOSMOS has worked with 316+ experts on personal branding and holds a 4.9/5 rating on Google (150+ reviews). To hand over the whole process, from script to edit, see our personal branding agency in Dubai.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to post clinic videos on Instagram in Dubai?

Yes. Your clinic needs a MOHAP health advertising licence, and the DHA standard asks you to show its number on the official account (section 5.2). The medical director must also approve every post that names the clinic (section 5.3).

Can a Dubai clinic post before-and-after photos?

Yes, with conditions. Same person, same lens, no editing, plus the official statement that results vary between people and the risks (section 9.6). You need the patient's written consent (section 9.1).

Can we show prices or run a promotion?

You can show fees, instalment plans and accepted insurance if the information is accurate and complete (Appendix 1). Time-limited discounts you cannot honour, "very limited quantity" and money-back offers are not allowed.

Can an influencer promote my clinic?

Yes, if the influencer holds an Advertiser Permit from the National Media Authority, formerly the UAE Media Council (DHA circular of 23 August 2025), and your medical director approves the content. Your clinic is still responsible for anything filmed on its premises (section 5.5).

Can we film a procedure for social media?

No. The DHA standard bans filming or live streaming a patient in surgery, under general anaesthesia or in a procedure room to promote the clinic or doctor (section 9.7). Explain the procedure on camera or with animation instead.

Can a doctor use the same account for personal and professional posts?

No. The standard asks for separate personal and professional accounts (section 8.1.1). Doctors should also avoid talking with patients on their personal account (section 7.1.2).

Sources

• Dubai Health Authority, Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media, version 1.1 (PDF)
• DHA circular CIR-2026-00000144, 17 August 2026
• DHA circular CIR-2025-00000149 (External Circular 1451), 23 August 2025
• MOHAP, Issue License / Renew License for a Health Advertisement
• MOHAP, Request for Health Advertisement user manual (PDF)
• MOHAP Services Guide, issue 07.2025 (PDF)
• National Media Authority, Advertiser Permit
• National Media Authority, Visitor Advertiser Permit
• Dubai Healthcare City Regulatory, Advertisement Policy and Procedure (PDF)