Dubai ambulance: What expats need to know

If you are living in Dubai as a recently arrived expatriate, or as one who has been here for years, there is plenty of important information that you should learn about the city in which you now reside. Learning about a new city is always a blast, from finding out where to get the best local fare to where to find the best deals, discovering Dubai can certainly be a fun prospect. However, it’s important that we learn the basics of survival in the city too. Now, it might be odd to use the word survival when referring to a modern place like Dubai, but if an emergency were to occur, would you know exactly who to contact, where to go, and what to do? Here, Pacific Prime Dubai provides you with Dubai emergency numbers 2021, as well as information about ambulances and top hospitals in the Emirate of Dubai.

Dubai ambulance info

First and foremost, the thing you should know is how to contact an ambulance in Dubai. Simply dial 999 (ambulance & police) or 998 (ambulance only) for emergency services. It’s okay if you do not speak Arabic, as all dispatchers should speak fluent English.

As health insurance in Dubai is mandatory, the vast majority of individuals will have insurance coverage for an ambulance when they need it. For this reason, it is advised that you carry your insurance card on you at all times. A Dubai ambulance usually comes outfitted with all of the amenities that you will find in other developed countries from around the world. This includes cardiac resuscitation devices, defibrillators, artificial respirators, sugar measuring devices, and an array of other emergency and first aid equipment.

The Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) is the body that oversees ambulance services in the Emirate, and has over 175 ambulances in its fleet. The Emirate even touted the ‘world’s fastest ambulances’ in 2017, as five modified Mustang sports cars were added to its ambulance fleet. Valued at AED 1 million each, these vehicles can reach a max speed of 300 km/h to deliver the speediest of first aid. Dubai’s ambulance fleet also has pink ambulances, which are exclusively used to transport women and children in need of emergency care.

Dubai ambulance costs

Even if you do have insurance for ambulance coverage in Dubai, it may be best to assess whether or not the nature of a given ailment does require a proper ambulance. Not only will this potentially save costs, it could free up an emergency vehicle that may be needed elsewhere. After all, we wouldn’t want someone having a heart attack to be denied transportation because the ambulance that would have served them is tending to our fractured fingertip. With this in mind, it may be best to simply call for a taxi to the hospital if your injury or illness is not truly an emergency. A taxi from The Palm Jumeirah to Al Zahra Hospital would cost a mere AED 15. This is a huge saving versus the cost of an ambulance. Speaking of which, how much does a Dubai ambulance cost?

As it happens, there are a few different charges that you can expect if you need an ambulance in Dubai. For most ambulance rides in Dubai, a fee of AED 300 will be charged. This, however, is only if the destination is within Dubai itself. Destinations outside of Dubai will double the charge to AED 600. Finally, in the specific situation where a traffic accident results in evacuation and emergency services being needed, the estimated charge will be AED 6,770. Clearly, given a grievous enough accident, the cost for being transported to a medical facility can be substantial. In an especially harsh scenario like a family of five requiring evacuation after a serious traffic accident, the family could be on the hook for almost AED 34,000. And that’s even before the cost of medical treatment at the hospital!

Dubai hospital proximity

If you do have an emergency in Dubai, you will not want to dawdle when it comes to getting medical assistance. Below is a list of districts in Dubai, as well as prominent medical facilities in or near them.

Al Awir
Al Amal Hospital

Bur Dubai
American Hospital Dubai
Mediclinic City Hospital
Aster Hospital Mankhool
International Modern Hospital
Medeor 24×7 Hospital

Deira
Al Baraha Hospital
Gulf Speciality Hospital
Canadian Specialist Hospital
Rashid Hospital Trauma Center

Downtown Dubai
Mediclinic Dubai Mall
Medeaor Downtown Medical Centre

Dubai Creek
Latifa Hospital
Mediclinic City Hospital
American Hospital Dubai

Dubai Marina
Emirates Hospital

Dubai World Central
DWC AMI Airport Medical Center

Emirates Living
Mediclinic Middle East
Medcare Medical Centre

Jebel Ali
Lifeline Hospital

Jumeirah
Emirates Hospital
Medcare Hospital

Mirdif
Medawi Hospital
Medcare Medical Centre

Palm Jumeirah
Emirates Hospital

Dubai emergency departments

No matter what your status in Dubai, if you are in need of emergency medical care, it is advised that you seek out the nearest hospital with an emergency department. For this reason, if using the list above, focus on facilities with ‘Hospital’ in their name, rather than ‘Clinic’ or ‘Medical Center’.

There are differences between public and private hospitals in Dubai, but while public hospitals are typically reserved for local Emiratis, you should still seek care at these facilities if there is an emergency. Ambulances are generally more likely to take you to a private hospital, all things being equal, so be sure to keep your insurance card on you so there are no hold-ups at the hospital. After all, in an emergency, you may not be able to communicate with hospital staff effectively enough to provide them with your personal information. Regardless of what type of facility you arrive at, once you arrive in the emergency department you will be triaged and then admitted to the hospital if necessary.

Dubai ambulances and health insurance

The minimum benefits with regards to coverage for Dubai ambulance and emergency medical transportation are laid out in the Dubai Health Authority’s Health Insurance law of Dubai, which was published in 2014. The upper aggregate claims limit for any plan must be at least AED 150,000, so unless you’ve racked up a rather large hospital bill already in a given insurance policy term, you are unlikely to meet your benefit maximum purely as the result of ambulance costs. When it comes to ground transportation, DHA compliant health insurance plans are only required to provide coverage for authorized parties. Meaning the use of any unauthorized transportation providers may lead to your claim being denied. Beyond this, each insured individual is responsible for a 20% coinsurance payment up to a cap of AED 500 for each incident, and AED 1000 for annually. This means that the full 20% copayment would be necessary for charges of AED 300 or AED 600, but a charge of AED 6,770 will only result in a copayment of AED 500. All charges beyond this AED 500 will be covered by insurance.

It should be noted that these plans only provide coverage inside of the UAE, so if you are an individual that travels frequently, whether for work or pleasure, you may want to find out about an international health insurance plan with global coverage. If you currently have an essential benefits plan through your current employer and their insurer, you may also explore how an international health insurance policy can add benefits to make up for the deficiencies in your local Dubai health insurance plan.

Have any more questions about emergencies in Dubai? Get in touch with Pacific Prime Dubai today

If you have any questions about anything above, feel free to reach out to the helpful agents at Pacific Prime Dubai. We will be happy to answer your questions about ambulances, hospitals, or medical insurance. Check out our State of Health Insurance Report 2019-2020 if you’d like to learn more about the healthcare and medical insurance landscape in the Emirate.

Whether you’re looking for individual health insurance, family health insurance, or any other type of insurance plan in Dubai, our team can also provide you with insurance comparisons and price quotations at no charge to you versus going directly to the insurer. Rest assured, we’ll ensure that you get the best plan for your needs and budget. 

 Contact us today to learn more!