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You are not imagining it. According to the Central Bank of the UAE, health insurance premiums climbed 12.7 per cent in the first half of 2025, with the sector's total gross written premiums reaching AED 75.2 billion for the full year. For British expats navigating healthcare without a public safety net, and for business owners carrying the cost of an entire workforce, that has real consequences. I know, because I have been in both positions. This article is not here to alarm you. It is here to give you context, honesty, and a more useful way to think about your options.

Why Are Premiums Rising?

Medical inflation in the UAE was approximately 11.5 per cent in 2025 with a similar number expected for 2026. Treatment costs are rising, people are using their coverage more than before, mental health claims have grown substantially, and chronic disease related claims are more prevalent across the resident population. These increases are regulated and approved by the UAE Central Bank, which does not make them easier to absorb, but it helps to understand why they happen.

The Expat Reality

There is no NHS here. Health insurance is a legal requirement, tied directly to your visa, and as of 1 January 2025, mandatory coverage extends to all private sector employees and domestic workers across every emirate. What varies enormously though is the quality of cover.

A minimum DHA-compliant plan covers emergency and primary care, but may exclude your preferred hospitals and specialists and has limited cover in general. Most people do not read their full policy t’s and c’s until they need it and are in a waiting room. 

Ageing and Pre-Existing Health Conditions

This is the part of the conversation most people do not encounter until it is too late to plan around. If you have a pre-existing condition, such as diabetes, hypertension, a history of mental health, or a prior diagnosis such as cancer, insurers assess it at the point of application. Premium loadings (additional premium), and/or restricted coverage are more common than people realise.

The same applies to getting older in the UAE. Securing quality cover once you or a loved one are over the age of 60 and especially if there are any pre-existing health issues make the process genuinely difficult. I have sat with people who planned their move carefully and did not account for this until they were already in the middle of it. Knowing this in advance is the only meaningful way to plan around it.

For Business Owners and HR Leaders

Providing the legal minimum is not a sound benefits strategy. Research by Willis Towers Watson found that 64 per cent of UAE workers rank company healthcare benefits as a top reason to stay with an employer. Employees notice when their preferred hospital is no longer part of the network, when their children are no longer included, or when mental health support require lengthy pre-authorisations and approvals. Supplemental benefits, dental (now mandatory), optical, wellness checks, and dependent coverage, are genuine differentiators in a competitive hiring market. It is also worth noting that under UAE labour law, employers cannot deduct health insurance premiums from employee salaries; the full cost sits with the business. Given that, it is worth asking honestly whether your plan is protecting your people…or simply keeping you compliant.

If your broker only presents one option at renewal and asks you to sign, you are not getting a full market view. For all businesses, having someone who genuinely goes to market on your behalf and clearly explains all the options, makes a real material difference to both cost and quality of cover.

Working With the System, Not Against It

Navigating UAE health insurance does not have to be overwhelming. A few principles applied early make a significant difference: understand your cover before you need it, not after; plan ahead for family or workforce changes rather than acting under pressure; and do not optimise for price alone. A lower premium with lower coverage and broad exclusions is rarely cheaper in practice. Think in terms of total cost of care, not just the renewal figure.

The Importance of Community

The most useful resource for navigating UAE healthcare is not a comparison website. It is another person who has already been through it and is willing to share honestly what they found: which hospitals are worth the network tier upgrade, which insurers handle claims without friction, and which questions to ask before you sign anything. That kind of knowledge comes from experience, and it travels through trusted relationships.

There is something particular about the expat experience that makes community essential. You arrive without the knowledge systems built over years at home, and the decisions you make about healthcare in those early months carry real weight. Community is how you rebuild that foundation. It is how a conversation at a BCCD event connects you with someone who has navigated exactly what you are facing, and who can point you towards the right expertise and the right people. It works both ways: the knowledge you share freely today will matter to someone else tomorrow in ways you may not realise. Giving back to a community is as important as drawing from it, and the strongest networks are the ones where both occur naturally.

If you are new to the UAE, lean into those conversations. If you have been here for years, share what you know. The person across the table may be facing a situation you have already worked through.

A Final Word

UAE health insurance premiums are rising and the structural forces behind that are not going to reverse anytime soon. What can change is how prepared you are when your next renewal arrives. For individuals and families, that means understanding your cover before you need it and planning ahead for the harder conversations, particularly around getting older or pre-existing conditions. For employers and HR leaders, it means recognising that your health insurance program is a meaningful part of what you offer your people.

The system is imperfect, and the frustration many people feel is real and justified. But navigating it with the right knowledge and the right people around you makes an enormous difference. I hope this has been a useful starting point. If any of it raises questions you would like to talk through, I am here and happy to help.

Author: Sonny Ridgewell, Director, Seven Insurance Brokers