Healthcare Ethics Course for UAE Healthcare Professionals
A cross-profession course on reasoning through dilemmas: the four principles, five ethical lenses and a seven-step method, applied to family decisions, faith, end of life, organ donation and new technology.
2learning hours
20final questions
80%pass mark
PDFcertificate
What you will learn
Distinguish ethics, law, professionalism and personal belief, and identify the federal laws, authority codes and charter that give ethical duties force in the UAE.
Explain the ethical duties shared by all professions under Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016, Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019, Federal Laws No. 5 of 2019 and No. 6 of 2023 and the DHA Code of Ethics (2025).
Apply autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice to UAE clinical situations, including relational decision-making with families.
Use five ethical lenses and the seven-step CLARIFY method to analyse a dilemma and document the reasoning.
Apply the federal, DHA and DOH rules on substitute consent, married women's reproductive health and minors, while keeping the patient's own voice central.
Respect culture and faith accurately by applying the rules on opposite-gender examination, same-gender providers, interpreters and non-discrimination, without stereotyping.
State the legal limits at the end of life under Articles 9 to 11 of Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 and respond ethically to refusals and requests to die.
Summarise the rules on organ donation under Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2023 and Cabinet Resolution No. 61 of 2026, permitted abortion under Cabinet Resolution No. 44 of 2024, research and the use of AI with health data.
Recognise dual loyalties and organisational pressures, and raise concerns in line with the DHA code's protections for good-faith reporters.
Describe how ethical lapses lead to complaints and disciplinary penalties, and write a reflective account that shows insight and evidenced change.
Relevant to
The UAE codes, standards and laws this course helps you reflect on. Relevance is our own mapping; it is not an approval by any authority.
DHADHA Standards for Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2025), Standards 1–12; DHA Guidelines for Patient Consent (2024)
DOHDOH Patient Consent Standard (2025), Healthcare Workforce Bioethics Guidelines (2024) and Policy on Integrity and Benefit Disclosure (2022)
MOHAPCode of Ethics and Professional Conduct (Ministerial Resolution No. 1448 of 2017), referenced; Patient's Rights and Responsibilities Charter
Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 (Arts 9–11) and Cabinet Resolution No. 44 of 2024; Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2023 and Cabinet Resolution No. 61 of 2026 on organ donation
About this course
This course covers the ethics that every licensed healthcare professional in the United Arab Emirates shares, whatever their profession. It explains how ethical duties are written into federal law (Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 on medical liability and Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019, Federal Law No. 5 of 2019, Federal Law No. 6 of 2023 and Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2024), into the DHA Standards for Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2025), the DOH-led Healthcare Workforce Bioethics Guidelines (2024) and the national Patient's Rights and Responsibilities Charter. It then works through the four ethical principles, ethical theories and the seven-step CLARIFY decision method, culture, faith and family roles as reflected in UAE law, end-of-life decisions, organ donation under Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2023 and Cabinet Resolution No. 61 of 2026, reproduction, research and artificial intelligence, dual loyalties, speaking up, and what happens when an ethical lapse becomes a complaint.
It is written for doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, the Dubai Health Authority, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Health Authority or Dubai Healthcare City, in government and private facilities, home care and community settings. It suits professionals new to the UAE who trained under different systems, experienced staff who want a structured way to reason through hard cases, team leaders, and anyone reflecting on an ethical concern raised about their practice.
In the UAE, ethics and law are closely linked: in Dubai, failing to follow the recognised code of ethics is itself a disciplinary violation, and rules on consent, family roles, end-of-life care and organ donation differ from those in many other countries. Every section is built around realistic situations from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, with patients and colleagues from many backgrounds, and ends with prompts to apply the learning and a knowledge check; the course closes with a structured reflective account you can keep in your portfolio.
Syllabus
11 sections, about 2 learning hours, 20-question final assessment
1Foundations of healthcare ethics in the UAE3 lessons
What healthcare ethics is, and why it matters in UAE practice
Where ethics sits in UAE law and standards
Shared duties across professions
2The core ethical principles in UAE practice3 lessons
Respect for autonomy, and the place of the family
Beneficence and non-maleficence: benefit, harm and proportion
Justice: fairness, equal respect and scarce resources
3Ethical reasoning and decision-making3 lessons
Ethical theories as lenses
The CLARIFY method for ethical decisions
Ethics support, research ethics and moral distress
4Culture, faith and family in UAE healthcare ethics3 lessons
Culture and faith as reflected in UAE law and standards
Families, guardians and decision-making roles
Language, modesty and faith in everyday care
5Ethics at the end of life2 lessons
The legal boundaries at the end of life
Families, disagreement and leaving hospital at the end of life
6Organ donation, reproduction and new technologies3 lessons
Organ and tissue donation under Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2023
Beginning of life: reproduction, contraception and pregnancy
New technologies: artificial intelligence, genomics and health data
7Ethics in teams and organisations2 lessons
Dual loyalties: patient, employer, payer and sponsor
Respect, speaking up and moral courage in multinational teams
8Accountability, insight and remediation2 lessons
When an ethical lapse becomes a complaint or disciplinary case
Insight, reflection and remediation after an ethical concern
9Conclusion and key points1 lesson
Conclusion and key points
10References and further reading1 lesson
References and further reading
11Your reflective account1 lesson
Your reflective account
Course facts
CPD value
Approximately 2 learning hours (self-directed CPD, including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)
Audience
Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or Dubai Healthcare City, in government, private, home-care and community settings
Standards covered
Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 on Medical Liability (Arts 3–5, 7–12, 14–16, 18–20, 23, 28, 30, 32, 37–38) as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 18 of 2023, and Cabinet Resolutions No. 40 of 2019 and No. 44 of 2024; Federal Law No. 5 of 2019 (Arts 17, 22, 24, 28–29) and Cabinet Resolution No. 67 of 2020; Federal Law No. 6 of 2023 (Arts 8, 13–14) and Cabinet Resolution No. 176 of 2025; Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2024 (Art. 42); Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2023 and Cabinet Resolution No. 61 of 2026; Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 (Arts 4, 13, 16); Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2023; Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 and Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2024 (reporting duties); Ministerial Resolution No. 14 of 2021 (Patient's Rights and Responsibilities Charter); Ministerial Resolution No. 1448 of 2017 (Code of Ethics, referenced); DHA Standards for Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2025), Guidelines for Patient Consent (2024) and Health Information Consent and Access Control standard (2025); Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 49 of 2024; DOH Patient Consent Standard (2025), Healthcare Workforce Bioethics Guidelines (2024), Policy on Integrity and Benefit Disclosure (2022) and Abu Dhabi Law No. 10 of 2018
Format
Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, UAE case studies and reflection
Assessment
20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)
Outcome
Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your professional development portfolio
Alignment
Supports reflection on the DHA Standards for Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2025), Standards 1–12, the federal Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (Ministerial Resolution No. 1448 of 2017), the Patient's Rights and Responsibilities Charter, the DOH Patient Consent Standard and Healthcare Workforce Bioethics Guidelines, and the statutory duties of physicians, pharmacists and other health professionals; not approved or accredited by any UAE authority
Price
AED 349
Who this course is for
Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals in government, private, home-care and community settings across the UAE.
Written for professionals licensed by any UAE authority: MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR. Where the rules differ, the course explains the difference.
Your certificate
Your name, the course title and the approximate learning hours
Completion date and your final-assessment score
A unique certificate number with a QR code anyone can verify
The certificate states that the course is not accredited by any UAE health authority and that no CME/CPD points or credits are awarded. Whether it counts towards your licence renewal is for your licensing authority to decide.
Healthcare Practise
Certificate of Completion
This certificate is presented to
Your Name
Healthcare Ethics Course for UAE Healthcare Professionals
Approximately 2 learning hours · Final assessment score shown
Certificate No.HP-7K2M-9QXA
HPUAE
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Questions about this course
How is the healthcare ethics course different from the profession-specific ethics courses?
It is a shared course for every profession, focused on ethical reasoning: principles, five ethical lenses, the seven-step CLARIFY method, culture and family, end of life, organ donation and new technology. The profession courses are longer and apply the law to one profession's daily work, such as dental treatment planning or pharmacy dispensing.
What is the CLARIFY method taught in the course?
CLARIFY is the seven-step method in module 3: clarify the facts, locate the law and standard, ask the patient, recognise others' roles, identify and weigh options, find support, and make, document and review your decision. Simple questions need only the first steps; a serious dilemma needs the full method and a written record.
Does the course cover end-of-life decisions under UAE law?
Module 5 states the legal limits at the end of life in Articles 9 to 11 of Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 and shows how to respond ethically when a patient refuses treatment or asks for help to die. It explains what the law permits and prohibits rather than offering personal opinions on contested questions.
How does the course handle culture, faith and family in clinical decisions?
Module 4 applies the federal, DHA and DOH rules on substitute consent, married women's reproductive health and minors while keeping the patient's own voice central. It covers relational decision-making with families, same-gender provider requests and interpreters, and warns against stereotyping patients by nationality or religion.
Is the healthcare ethics course recognised by a UAE health authority?
No. It is independent education and is not accredited by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR, so it carries no CME or CPD credit. The certificate states approximately 2 learning hours of self-directed learning and your score, and your reflective account can sit in your professional development portfolio.
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