UAE Health Insurance

Feeling comfortable in the knowledge that if something was to happen to a family member their medical costs will be taken care of, is important to us all. Our expert consultants can advise on the most suitable level of coverage for families, individuals, groups, travelers, and teachers expatriate health insurance.

Expatriate Health Insurance UAE

Pacific Prime is an expatriate insurance broker specialising in providing overseas medical insurance for UAE nationals living, working or holidaying abroad. If you are a non UAE national and moving to UAE we can also provide plans that meet your specific requirements.

The policies that we can provide are guaranteed renewable for life and globally portable, so even if you should relocate away from the country your plan will continue to cover you. With a number of extra benefits including maternity coverage, emergency evacuation and repatriation, dental treatment, out-patient consultations, alternative medicines, complimentary therapies, and specialist consultations, you can be assured that an international health insurance UAE plan will give you the coverage that you need. For more information about the products and services that we can offer, or to receive a free quote, please contact us today.

Professional Service you can trust

Pacific Prime Insurance will be with you for the duration of your policy. We offer additional customer services that include claims advice, emergency contact numbers and medical advice lines. We also maintain a comprehensive list of UAE hospitals/doctors. Most of our clients are expatriates so we maintain a list of Embassies in UAE.

As a leading broker of medical insurance in UAE we keep up on the latest insurance trends and UAE Insurance News.

We can offer expatriates dedicated health insurance UAE plans that will provide comprehensive coverage in the MiddleEast and around the world. Plans that we can offer will usually have a number of benefits that a policyholder is able to tailor to suit their specific requirements. With coverage options including out-patient, dental, maternity, and emergency evacuation, you will be assured of receiving the highest levels of quality treatment anywhere in the world.

We offer UAE health insurance, and international health insurance, for all seven emirates:

• Abu Dhabi
• Dubai
• Sharjah
• Fujairah
• Ras Al-Khaimah
• Ajman
• Umm Al-Quwain

UAE Travel Tips

With breathtaking deserts, a mix of ultra modern cities and ancient Bedouin culture, the United Arab Emirates is an amazing travel destination. It offers a taste of Arab culture allied with the most state of the art in hospitality and entertainment, cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi are thriving metropolitan centres, surrounded by vast tracts of desert on the one side, and the waters of the Persian Gulf on the other.

The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, each ruled by a hereditary emir, or prince, who has absolute sovereignty in his respective emirate. As a federation, the UAE has a president, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, generally known as Sheikh Khalifa, who is also the emir of Abu Dhabi, and a Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, or Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the emir of Dubai.

Islam is the religion of the UAE, and affects the culture heavily, because of this, there are some important things to bear in mind when traveling to the Emirates.

What to bring
For most of the year, the weather in the UAE is hot to extremely hot. The hottest months are July and August, so warm clothes should definitely not be on your packing list. In the summer months the temperatures often go above 40 degrees Celsius, with the minimum in winters usually around 15 degrees. It is important to protect yourself from the heat and sun, so light, long sleeved clothing is usually your best bet. A light sweater or pashmina is a good idea, since air conditioned buildings can often be frosty, even with blistering heat outside. If you’re planning to go to the mountainous areas in the northeast, temperatures there can be slightly cooler, especially at night, so a jacket will definitely come in handy.

As far as paperwork is concerned, it is a good idea to bring a copy of your marriage certificate, and any prescriptions for medication you might be on, if applicable. Also remember to bring proof of health or travel insurance, in case you need to go to the hospital.

What not to bring
Skimpy clothing, pornography (or anything that could even possibly be mistaken for it), sleeping tablets, pork products, anti-depressants and virility related drugs like Viagra are all completely illegal or in some Emirates, frowned upon, and will result in fines, jail time and/or deportation.

Traveling with friends
It is forbidden for unrelated couples to share accommodation or even to travel together in a private vehicle. If you’re visiting a friend of the opposite sex, it is illegal to stay with them in their house or apartment, so count on staying in a hotel and keeping your visits to public locations. While the police do not go looking for offenders in this regard, they will be obliged to investigate any reports from concerned citizens and if caught, you will spend time in jail. Public displays of affection are only acceptable between married couples, and even then, anything more than holding hands is liable to result in unwanted attention from the police. Hotels mostly operate on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” basis when couples book into a room, but again, discretion is definitely your friend.

Same sex relations are illegal and will get you into deep trouble really quickly.

Dress
Islam expects people to dress modestly, while tourists are not expected to dress according to Islamic rules, everyone is expected to respect the culture. Dress modestly, especially ladies, with no open shoulders and nothing shorter than below the knees. When visiting holy sites, women are required to cover their heads, so ladies should pack a scarf for these occasions.

Emiratis take this quite seriously, and some have started some public initiatives to educate foreigners about dress code in the UAE.

Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol is a touchy subject. Without a license, it is illegal to buy, transport, own or consume alcohol outside of specially licensed premises. For tourists, this means that you can only really drink inside 4 and 5 star hotel bars. Consuming alcohol anywhere else is playing with fire. Public drunkenness is also illegal, so if you are planning on having a few too many, make sure you don’t end up on the streets while you’re still under the influence.

There is zero tolerance for drugs, don’t do it. No really, don’t.

Driving
Fuel is cheap in the UAE, and renting a car can be a great way to explore. That said, the UAE has some of the highest road death tolls in the world, and driving is dangerous. The standard of driving is generally quite low, and reckless driving is common.

To try and deal with the dangerous driving situation, a penalty points system along with mandatory fines and vehicle confiscation has been implemented by the government. You should be aware that if you are caught driving recklessly, or exceeding the speed limit by too much, your vehicle might be confiscated for a pre-defined period of up to 60 days.

In short, you need to keep your wits about you if you are driving, and pay attention to the rules of the road, as well as other drivers around you.

Generally speaking, tourists from developed countries can simply drive with their driving license from home, although it is worthwhile to check this out with your car hire company before leaving for the UAE.

Public Transport
Buses are cheap, safe and plentiful, with their destinations usually clearly marked in Arabic and English.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi also have state of the art metro systems, which are reliable, efficient, comfortable and affordable.

Taxis are quite cheap and a good way to get around. In a medical emergency, taxis are usually your best bet to get to the hospital quickly, since ambulance response times can be unpredictable and ambulances are used mostly for road accident response.

Money
The dirham is the official currency in the UAE, abbreviated AED or Dhs. Notes come in denominations of Dhs1000, Dhs500, Dhs200, Dhs100, Dhs50, Dhs20, Dhs10 and Dhs5, while fils, or coins, come in Dhs1, 50 cents and 25 cents.

Credit cards are widely accepted, and many international banks have a local presence, especially in Abu Dhabi and Dubai so the simplest way to obtain local currency is to draw it from an ATM.

Healthcare and Insurance
Tourists to UAE must either have travel insurance or international medical insurance when arriving in the UAE, or will be required, upon arrival, to purchase local health insurance to cover themselves for the duration of their stay. It is therefore imperative that you make sure you have suitable travel or international health insurance before departing to the UAE.

Public and private healthcare facilities are generally of a really high standard, and you can expect world class medical services should you need to go to hospital while in the UAE.

Cultural issues
Ramadan

During the month of Ramadan, it is illegal to eat, drink (even water), or smoke in public between sunrise and sunset. Exceptions are made for pregnant or nursing women, as well as children. This applies to Muslims as well as non-Muslims, and failure to comply may result in arrest.

Ramadan also inspires a heightened focus on religious adherence, so police tend to be more vigilant about policing moral and religious issues during this time and tourists should be particularly conscientious about cultural and religious obligations.

Weekend
The week runs from Sunday to Thursday, with the weekend being Friday and Saturday.

Safety
The UAE has a very low crime rate, and is generally very safe. Street crime is rare, although to avoid the possibility of unwanted attention, women should not be out alone at night. Violent crime is almost unheard of in the UAE.

Please feel free to contact our expert advisors to gain advice on the most suitable level of travel and medical insurance for you when visiting the UAE.

For more information about traveling to UAE, the international health insurance plans that we can provide there, or to receive a free quote, please contact us today.

Further Information about UAE Medical Insurance

For further information about health insurance issues and options in the UAE and Middle East we recommend visiting UAE Medical Insurance.