Buying an existing clinic in Dubai: what to check

Facility licence: status first, then the transfer route

In Dubai the facility licence is issued and managed by the Dubai Health Authority through its Sheryan system. Before talking about price, confirm that the licence is active and clean.

• Ask the seller for the current facility licence and the list of licensed services, and compare it with what the clinic actually sells
• Ask for inspection reports, violations and fines of the last years. Per the Sheryan FAQ, a change of ownership cannot be applied for while there is a pending violation or while the licence is expired, cancelled or suspended
• Share deal or asset deal: whether the same legal entity keeps its licence or a new owner needs a new facility licence changes the timeline. Confirm the route with DHA and your lawyer before signing
• Check the trade licence (DET or free zone) and the lease: the premises approval is tied to this address

Staff licences are tied to the facility

A doctor's or nurse's DHA licence is linked to the facility where they work. If the medical director or a key doctor leaves, the clinic may be unable to provide those services until a replacement is licensed, which can take weeks or months.

• List every licensed professional: title, licence expiry, full-time or part-time, and which services depend on them
• Confirm there is an active licensed medical director and who will hold that role after the deal
• Check contracts and notice periods of key doctors and whether they intend to stay
• Estimate the replacement time for each licensed role: a licence transfer inside Dubai is faster than licensing a doctor from abroad

Malpractice claims and complaints

• Ask for the history of patient complaints, DHA investigations and court cases, including closed ones
• Check malpractice (medical liability) insurance for the facility and for each professional, and whether past treatments stay covered after the change of owner
• Read consent forms and treatment records for high-risk procedures on a sample basis
• Put warranties and indemnities for pre-deal claims into the purchase agreement

Insurance network contracts and receivables

For a clinic that works with insurance, insurer and TPA contracts can be a large part of the value, and they are not always transferable automatically.

• List of insurers and TPAs with direct billing, network category and price list
• Whether each contract survives a change of ownership or needs a new application
• Claims rejection rate, outstanding receivables by age, and any insurer audits or recoveries
• Who does the billing today and whether that person stays

Equipment, devices and patient records

• Owned or leased devices, financing still due, service contracts and maintenance logs
• Registration and approvals of medical devices for use in the UAE, and any extra licences (for example for radiation equipment)
• Medical records system: who owns the data, how records are kept and backed up, and connection to NABIDH, Dubai's health information exchange
• Patient consent for data processing and a plan for how records move to the new owner lawfully

How we help

We review the clinic team before the deal: who holds which licence, who is likely to stay, how long it takes to replace each licensed role and what it costs. After the deal we recruit the missing doctors, nurses and managers and can set up CRM and owner reporting. For licence and legal questions we point you to DHA and to your lawyer rather than guess. Recruitment fee: one month's salary of the placed employee, 50% when they start and 50% after probation, no full prepayment, free replacement within 2 months. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.