Before you book: how to check your doctor is really licensed in Dubai

You have found someone who does Botox or filler in Dubai. The photos look good. The price looks fair. But a small voice is asking: is this person actually a doctor? And are they allowed to do this here?

That voice is right to ask. It takes about two minutes to check, and it is the single most useful thing you can do before anyone puts a needle in your face.

Why this matters more than the price

When people are badly hurt by injections, the cause is rarely the medicine. It is usually the person holding the needle, or a product that came from the wrong place.

In 2024, health authorities in the United States looked into a group of people who became seriously unwell after cosmetic Botox. Most had been injected by people who were not licensed, often in homes or salons. Some needed hospital care.

Dubai has strict rules, and that is a good thing. But rules only protect you if you check that they are being followed.

Who licenses doctors in Dubai

This part confuses many people, so here it is plainly.

• Most of Dubai: the Dubai Health Authority, often shortened to DHA.
• Dubai Healthcare City, a special health zone near Oud Metha: its own regulator, the Dubai Healthcare City Authority. Doctors there hold that licence instead.
• Abu Dhabi has the Department of Health. The northern emirates are covered by the federal Ministry of Health and Prevention.

A licence from one of these does not automatically let a doctor work in another. So the question is not just “are you licensed?” It is “are you licensed for this clinic, in this place?”

How to check a doctor in two minutes

1. Ask for the full name and licence number. A licensed doctor will give it without any fuss. Mine is printed on this page.
2. Search the official register. The DHA keeps a public list of licensed professionals in its licensing system, called Sheryan. Search “DHA Sheryan medical directory” and use the official dha.gov.ae website, not a copy.
3. Type the name or licence number. You should see the person’s name, their job title, and the facility they are licensed to work at.
4. Check the details match. The name should match. The title should say physician or doctor, not nurse or therapist, if a doctor is what you were promised. And the facility should be the clinic you are booking at.

If the doctor works in Dubai Healthcare City, use that authority’s own online register instead. It works in much the same way.

Check the place, not just the person

A licensed doctor still needs to work in a licensed health facility. Medical injections are not meant to happen in a beauty salon, a spa room, a hotel suite or someone’s flat.

A licensed clinic will usually show its licence near reception. It will have a proper medical record for you, a place to deal with an emergency, and medicine stored in a fridge.

If the setting feels more like a party than a clinic, trust that feeling.

Warning signs worth walking away from

• No licence number, or a vague answer like “I trained in Europe”.
• A price far below every clinic around it. Real product from a licensed supplier costs what it costs.
• Treatment at home, in a salon, or at an event.
• No questions about your health, your medicines or your pregnancy status before treatment.
• They will not show you the box or vial of what they are injecting.
• Pressure to decide today, or a discount that ends tonight.
• Promises like “guaranteed”, “permanent” or “no risk”. No honest doctor can promise those.

One warning sign is a reason to ask more. Two or three is a reason to leave.

What a licence does not tell you

A licence means a doctor is qualified and allowed to practise. It is the minimum, not the whole picture.

It does not tell you how many times they have done your particular treatment, or whether their taste matches yours. For that, ask questions. How often do you do this? What would make you say no to me? What happens if something goes wrong, and can I reach you afterwards?

A good doctor will be happy you asked.

How I do things

My name is Dr. Hossam Mohammed. I am licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, licence number 42056501-002, and I work at Soleá Clinic in Dubai. You are welcome to look me up before you book. I would rather you did.

At your first visit I ask about your health and your medicines before I talk about treatment. I show you the product before I open it. And if I do not think a treatment will help you, I tell you, even if that means you leave without one.

I also give you a way to reach me after your appointment. If something feels wrong, you should never have to guess who to call.

Questions I get asked every week

Is it rude to ask for a doctor’s licence number?

Not at all. It is a normal, sensible question. Any licensed doctor in Dubai should give it to you straight away.

Where do I check a DHA licence?

On the Dubai Health Authority’s official website, in the public register of licensed professionals, which is part of its Sheryan licensing system. You can search by name or licence number.

The doctor is licensed in Abu Dhabi. Can they treat me in Dubai?

Not on that licence alone. A doctor needs a licence from the authority that covers the place where they are treating you.

Can a nurse do my Botox?

It depends on the rules for their licence and the facility. If you were promised a doctor, check that the person treating you is the doctor. Ask who will hold the needle before the day.

Is a salon with a visiting doctor safe?

Medical injections belong in a licensed health facility, not a salon. A doctor who is licensed at a clinic is licensed to work at that clinic, not anywhere they choose.

If you would like to meet me and ask these questions in person, you can book a consultation. Or read more about how I work on the home page.

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Sources

• Dubai Health Authority, Health Regulation Sector — Sheryan professional licensing system and public register of licensed healthcare professionals and facilities.
• Dubai Healthcare City Authority — licensing of healthcare professionals and facilities within Dubai Healthcare City.
• UAE Federal Law No. 5 of 2019 regulating the practice of human medicine — a licence from the competent health authority is required to practise medicine.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, investigation of harmful reactions linked to counterfeit or mishandled botulinum toxin injections, 2024.