In the UAE, your health insurance is inextricably linked to your employment. It is as standard as your salary or your holiday days. Most employees assume: “Note to self: Insurance is the company’s problem.” This is true for You (the employee). But when it comes to your wife, husband, or children, the rules split dramatically … Read more
Moving to the UAE comes with a lot of upgrades: tax-free salary, sunshine, safety. Your health insurance card is often one of them—a gateway to world-class private hospitals with 5-star hotel lobbies. But for many expats, the first time they use that card is a culture shock. The system here operates on a unique blend … Read more
You and your colleague, let’s call him Dave, are sitting in the office pantry. You are discussing finances. Dave says: “My insurance renewal was AED 2,500 this year.” Your jaw drops. You just paid AED 5,500 for the exact same plan with the exact same insurer. You are both expats. You are both 32 years … Read more
You start a new job in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. HR hands you a shiny plastic card (or tells you to download the app). You look at the “Network” list. Great! Mediclinic, Saudi German, Burjeel, King’s College… they are all there. You feel safe. Six months later, you visit a specialist for a nagging knee … Read more
You visit the doctor. You feel terrible. The doctor prescribes you 3 medicines and a bottle of vitamins. You go to the pharmacy counter and hand over your Emirates ID. The pharmacist types on his computer. He frowns. He waits. Then he says: “Medicine A and B are approved. Medicine C and the Vitamins are … Read more