Dubai Tightens Social Media Rules for Doctors, Clinics and Influencers, Bans Misleading Medical Claims
By Thasmiya
Dubai has introduced stricter standards governing how doctors, healthcare facilities and influencers can promote medical services on social media.
The new standards from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) target misleading medical advertisements, exaggerated treatment claims, edited before-and-after images and promotional content that could create unrealistic expectations for patients.
The rules apply to DHA-licensed healthcare professionals and facilities in Dubai and also affect influencers promoting a clinic, treatment, healthcare service or treatment outcome.
The DHA issued its latest circular on **August 17, 2026**, stating that healthcare advertisements on social media can directly influence the public and must provide credible, ethical information that helps patients make informed treatment decisions.
## **Which social media platforms are covered?**
The standards cover medical advertising across social and digital communication channels used to promote healthcare services.
This includes platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
The rules do not apply only to advertisements published on a hospital or clinic’s official account. Healthcare professionals and influencers can also fall under the standards when their content promotes a healthcare facility, treatment, service or outcome.
## **Influencers promoting clinics are also covered**
One of the most important points for Dubai’s influencer marketing industry is that the rules extend beyond doctors.
When an influencer, healthcare professional or facility employee promotes a healthcare service or outcome while identifying the health facility by name or location, the content must be approved by the facility’s **Medical Director**.
The healthcare facility is also responsible for content filmed on its premises, including material recorded on personal mobile phones and subsequently published through an influencer’s or healthcare professional’s personal social media account.
This means clinics working with creators on promotional reels, testimonials or treatment videos need to pay closer attention to both the claims being made and the approval process before content goes live.
## **Words and claims doctors cannot use**
DHA standards prohibit absolute, exaggerated or misleading language that could give patients unrealistic expectations.
Examples reported under the standards include terms and claims such as:
**“The best”**
**“100%”**
**“No side effects”**
**“Immediate results”**
**“Miraculous”**
**“Magic”**
**“Safest”**
**“Assured success”**
**“Absolutely certain”**
**“Get money back”**
**“Incomparable”**
**“Unprecedented”**
The intention is to prevent healthcare advertising from presenting medical outcomes as guaranteed when individual results, risks and responses to treatment can vary.
## **No unrealistic treatment promises**
Medical advertisements cannot create unrealistic expectations about a treatment or its likely results.
Healthcare providers should also not use advertising that creates an unnecessary need for a procedure, exploits a patient’s lack of medical knowledge or uses fear to pressure someone into choosing a treatment.
Claims suggesting that one healthcare professional’s service is superior to another provider are also restricted.
## **Before-and-after photos face stricter rules**
Before-and-after images are common in cosmetic, dental, dermatology and aesthetic marketing, but DHA places specific conditions on how they can be used.
The before and after photographs must show the **same patient** and should be captured under comparable conditions using the same lens.
Images must not be edited in a way that misrepresents the treatment outcome.
Advertisements using before-and-after content must also make it clear that **results can vary between individuals**.
## **Patient consent is mandatory**
Clinics and healthcare professionals cannot simply use a patient’s photograph, video or testimonial for advertising.
Written consent must be obtained before a patient’s image, video or statement is used in promotional content.
When the patient is under 18, separate parental consent is required.
For influencers and creators filming inside clinics, this makes patient privacy and documented consent particularly important.
## **No promotional filming during surgery**
The standards also restrict promotional filming in operating theatres and procedure rooms.
Filming or live-streaming a patient undergoing minor or major surgery, including while under general anaesthesia, cannot be used for promotional purposes.
Clinics therefore need to distinguish between legitimate medical documentation and content being created specifically for social media marketing.
## **Doctors must use their licensed professional titles**
Healthcare professionals cannot use professional titles on social media that differ from those appearing on their DHA licence.
This affects promotional titles such as “Cosmetic Specialist,” “Aesthetic Consultant,” “Cosmetologist,” “Anti-Ageing Specialist” or “Beauty Expert” when those titles are not officially recognised on the individual’s licence.
The title **“Dr”** is restricted to physicians, dentists and professionals holding a recognised PhD. Where a PhD is being relied upon, the qualification must meet the applicable UAE attestation requirements.
## **Visiting doctors need to be careful too**
Healthcare professionals who practise in Dubai while also working in another country face additional social-media requirements.
DHA standards state that a visiting doctor or professional working in other countries in addition to Dubai should maintain a separate Dubai social-media account that complies with the standards.
Patient photographs or videos from outside Dubai that appear on the Dubai account must still comply with the applicable standards.
## **Medical directors have greater responsibility**
Medical Directors have an important role under the standards.
When a social media advertisement identifies a health facility by name or location, the Medical Director must approve the content.
Medical Directors are also responsible for making staff aware of the requirements, while facilities need appropriate systems for managing their social-media advertising.
This means social-media compliance is not simply the responsibility of a clinic’s marketing agency or content creator. Medical leadership is directly involved in the approval process.
## **Government logos cannot simply be added to ads**
Healthcare facilities and professionals must also be careful when using government branding.
DHA’s name or logo, as well as branding belonging to other government entities, cannot simply be placed on healthcare advertisements without the appropriate written approval.
The presence of government branding could otherwise make promotional content appear officially endorsed.
## **What this means for Dubai influencers**
For influencers, the biggest takeaway is simple: **healthcare collaborations require more caution than ordinary lifestyle advertising.**
A creator promoting a clinic cannot treat the collaboration in exactly the same way as a restaurant, fashion or beauty campaign.
Claims about treatment effectiveness, safety, results and medical superiority need to comply with healthcare advertising rules.
Influencers filming inside a clinic should also ensure that the facility’s Medical Director has approved relevant promotional content before publication when the clinic’s name or location is identified.
## **What clinics should check before posting**
Before publishing a reel, testimonial, doctor video or influencer collaboration, healthcare facilities should check that the medical information is accurate and balanced.
They should remove guaranteed or exaggerated claims, confirm that professional titles match DHA licences, obtain written patient consent, ensure before-and-after photographs comply with the rules and obtain Medical Director approval where required.
Clinics should also maintain appropriate records of their social-media activity because DHA can monitor and audit medical advertising compliance.
## **What happens if the rules are broken?**
DHA’s August 17 circular states that private healthcare facilities and professionals under its jurisdiction must comply with the standards.
It also warns that failure to comply can result in **appropriate disciplinary measures** under the applicable procedures.
The circular itself does not provide a simple universal fine amount for every social-media violation, so clinics and creators should not assume that every breach carries the same financial penalty.
## **Why Dubai is tightening healthcare advertising**
Medical advertising is different from ordinary product marketing because misleading information can influence healthcare decisions.
A claim such as “100% guaranteed” or “no side effects” could encourage someone to undergo a procedure without properly understanding its risks, alternatives or realistic outcome.
DHA says the standards are intended to strengthen ethical advertising and the credibility of healthcare information so patients can make informed treatment decisions.
## **Why this matters**
Dubai’s latest social-media standards are significant not only for doctors and clinics but also for **influencers, content creators, marketing teams and agencies working with healthcare brands**.
The message is clear: medical services cannot be promoted using exaggerated promises, guaranteed outcomes or misleading visuals simply because the content is being published as a reel, influencer collaboration or personal post.
For patients, the rules are designed to create more reliable healthcare information online.
For healthcare businesses and creators, they make accuracy, consent and proper medical approval an essential part of every social-media campaign.
## **Source Credits**
Information source/resource owners: Dubai Health Authority, DHA Health Regulation Sector, Gulf News and Khaleej Times.
## **Image Credits**
Image credit/resource owners: Dubai Health Authority, Government of Dubai and respective news publishers.
**Official circular:** DHA Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media – Circular CIR-2026-00000144
The circular was issued on **August 17, 2026** and appears in DHA’s current public circular register.