Can a Dubai clinic call itself the best?

No. "The best", "the only", "safest" and similar absolute terms are among the words the DHA's social media advertising standards prohibit, and clinics cannot claim to be better or safer than other providers.

Are before-and-after photos allowed for Dubai clinics?

Yes, if they show the same person with the same lens and no editing, carry the disclaimer that results can vary from one individual to another, and the patient has given written consent.

Who has to approve a clinic's social media posts?

Any post that names or identifies a facility, including posts by staff and influencers, must be approved by that facility's medical director before it is published.

Do the DHA standards apply to clinic websites?

The standards issued in August 2026 are written for social media. Our advice is to follow the same rules on your website and listings so your brand says the same thing everywhere.

How do you brand a clinic in Dubai under the new DHA advertising rules?

By Bilal Haider, Founder, Theepa Studio · 26 October 2026 · 6 min read

Short answer

In August 2026 the Dubai Health Authority issued new standards for medical advertising on social media. They ban absolute claims such as "the best", "safest" and "immediate results", set rules for professional titles, before-and-after photos and patient consent, and require the medical director to approve posts that name the clinic. For a clinic brand, that means checking the name, tagline, team titles and templates before launch, not after the first post.

Do the new DHA rules affect my clinic's branding?

Yes, if you run a private clinic or practise as a licensed healthcare professional in Dubai. On 17 August 2026 the Dubai Health Authority issued a circular introducing its Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media. They apply to all licensed health facilities and professionals in Dubai's private sector, and the DHA says that failing to comply will lead to disciplinary action.

The standards cover social media, but social media is where most clinic brands are seen first. Your name, tagline, bios, post templates and the way your doctors introduce themselves all end up in posts. If those brand pieces break the rules, every post that uses them does too. So the cheapest time to get this right is before the logo is designed, not after the first audit.

Which words can't a Dubai clinic use in its ads?

Khaleej Times reported the list of exaggerated or absolute terms the standards prohibit. They include:

"the best", "the only", "unique", "one of a kind", "exclusive"
"safest", "100%", "has no side effects", "absolutely certain"
"magic", "miraculous", "assured success", "immediate results"
"pioneer", "famous", "distinguished", "incomparable", "unprecedented"

Ads also cannot claim to be better or safer than other doctors or facilities, use fear to drive demand, exploit patients' limited medical knowledge or create unrealistic expectations. Claims about results need evidence. Ads for surgical or invasive procedures must carry a clearly visible warning, and procedure ads must mention the risks. Gulf News adds that content breaching UAE culture or Islamic values is not allowed.

What can a clinic say instead?

There is still plenty of room for a clear, confident brand. According to Khaleej Times, ads may include facts about services and products, contact details, office hours, approved qualifications and titles, safety and quality accreditations, and evidence-based public health information.

Titles need particular care. Gulf News reports that titles must match the DHA licence, that terms such as "Cosmetologist" and "Beauty Expert" are ruled out, and that "Dr" is limited to physicians, dentists and holders of a recognised PhD attested by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Avoid	Why it fails	Try instead (our suggestion)
"Dubai's best skin clinic"	Superlative that implies superiority	"Medical and cosmetic dermatology in Jumeirah"
"Painless, no side effects"	Absolute claim that hides risk	"How each treatment works, including the risks"
"Instant, guaranteed results"	Promises an outcome	"What to expect at each stage of treatment"
"The only clinic offering this laser"	Exclusivity claim	"Treatments we offer", followed by a plain list
"Meet our beauty expert"	Title not on a DHA licence	The exact title on the practitioner's licence

Can we use before-and-after photos and patient reviews?

Yes, with conditions. According to Gulf News:

Before-and-after images must show the same person, taken with the same lens and without editing, and must carry the disclaimer that "results can vary from one individual to another".
Any patient picture, video or statement needs written consent first, and patients under 18 need separate parental consent. Gulf Business adds that consent must be documented and limited to the stated purpose and time period.
Filming or live-streaming procedures under general anaesthesia for promotion is banned.

For your brand system, that means the disclaimer belongs inside the before-and-after template itself, not in the hands of whoever posts that day.

Who approves posts, and who is responsible?

Any post that names or identifies a facility, whether by staff or an influencer, must be approved by that facility's medical director before publishing (Gulf Business).
The facility is responsible for content filmed on its premises, even if it was shot on a personal phone and posted from a personal account.
Medical directors must archive posts for DHA audits and train staff on the rules (Gulf News).
Facilities cannot use the DHA's or any other government body's logo or name without written approval.
Doctors who work in Dubai and in other countries must keep a separate Dubai account that fully follows the standards.

There is also a federal layer for creators. Al Tamimi & Company notes that the UAE Media Council's Advertiser Permit has been mandatory since late October 2025 for people who publish promotional content on social media, including influencers promoting third-party services. If you work with creators, ask for their permit.

Worked example: how would a new skin clinic apply this?

This is a hypothetical scenario, not a client. A two-doctor dermatology clinic in Jumeirah is preparing to launch. The founders like the name "Best Skin Clinic" and the tagline "Flawless skin, instant results".

1Test the name. "The best" is on the banned list. Because the name appears in every post, bio and watermark, every post would carry a banned superlative. Our advice is to choose a name that makes no claim, so the clinic renames before the logo is drawn.
2Rewrite the tagline. "Instant results" is banned and "flawless" sets an unrealistic expectation. The new line describes the service and the place: "Medical and cosmetic dermatology in Jumeirah".
3Fix bios and team cards. Each practitioner's title is copied word for word from their DHA licence, and "Dr" appears only where the rules allow it.
4Build compliant templates. The before-and-after template uses fixed side-by-side frames with the "results can vary" line locked into the design. The procedure template has a fixed space for the risk warning.
5Set up approval. Drafts go to the medical director. Approved posts and signed consent forms are archived in one shared folder.
6Write a creator brief. One page for influencers and staff: words to use and avoid, the approval step and the permit check.

The brand loses nothing in clarity. It gains a name the clinic will not have to change later.

What should a clinic brand kit include under these rules?

1A name and tagline checked against the banned word list
2A list of approved titles for every practitioner, matching their licences
3A short voice guide: words we use, words we avoid
4Before-and-after and procedure templates with disclaimers and warnings built in
5A patient consent form for images and testimonials, stating purpose and time period
6A post approval and archiving routine owned by the medical director
7A one-page brief for staff and influencers

Our advice is to apply the same discipline to your website and listings. The standards are written for social media, but a website that calls you "the best clinic in Dubai" while your Instagram cannot is an inconsistent brand.

If you are launching or renaming a clinic, our brand identity work can build these checks into the system from the start. For an existing clinic, a brand audit will flag the words, titles and templates that need to change. This post is not legal advice: read the full standard on the DHA website or check with your compliance adviser.

Sources

Bilal Haider

Founder, Theepa Studio

Bilal founded Theepa Studio in 2016. The studio has delivered more than 10,000 brand identities for companies in the US, UK and the GCC.

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