Clinic and Medical Website Design in Dubai

Guide

Which Dubai Health Authority rules apply to clinic marketing?

The Dubai Health Authority's Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media (code DHA/HRS/HPSD/ST-21, version 1.1) apply to all DHA-licensed health facilities and healthcare professionals that advertise on social media. The standard was issued on 3 August 2022 and took effect on 3 October 2022.

Its definition of social media covers platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat and LinkedIn, so it is written for social channels rather than clinic websites. Your website content usually feeds those channels, though, so writing the site to the same standard avoids rewriting every post and ad.

Words and claims to keep off your clinic pages

The DHA standard bans absolute, exaggerated and alarming expressions, listing examples such as the best, safest, the only, unique, magic, miraculous, assured success, has no side effects, 100% and immediate results. It also requires advertised treatment outcomes to be substantiated and to include the associated risks.

In practice, service pages should describe what a treatment involves, who it suits and what the risks are, and avoid ranking the clinic above competitors. The standard also rules out negative statements about other healthcare professionals, facilities or government entities.

Doctor titles, licences and approvals

Professionals must use the titles on their DHA licence, so the standard rules out labels such as Aesthetician, Cosmetologist or Anti-Aging Consultant. The Dr. title is limited to physicians, dentists and professionals holding a recognised PhD.

The facility's official social media account must show its medical advertisement licence number from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the medical director approves content that names the facility. Doctor profile pages built from licence data make both of these easier to keep consistent.

Patient photos, before-and-after images and consent

The standard requires written, documented consent from any patient whose pictures, videos or statements appear in an advertisement, limited to the subject and period agreed. Before-and-after images must show the same person, taken with the same lens, with no Photoshop or similar enhancement.

They must also carry the statement that there is no guarantee the result will be the same, together with the risks, in the same font size as the rest of the content. A clinic website should store consent records alongside each gallery image, so nothing is published without them.

What patients look for on a clinic website

Clear service pages, real doctor profiles with qualifications, opening hours, a map and insurance information answer most first questions. Online booking, click-to-call and WhatsApp let patients act on their phone in seconds.

Keep booking forms short and ask only for what you need to schedule an appointment. Detailed medical history belongs in the clinic's own systems, not in a website contact form.