The DHA advertising rules every Dubai clinic Google Ads account must follow

A Dubai dermatology clinic woke up to a suspended Google Ads account for healthcare policy violations. The real issue was DHA advertising rules, not Google. The two overlap more than most clinics realise.

What the DHA cares about

The Dubai Health Authority regulates how healthcare services can be advertised. The full list is in DHA Circular DHA/PSA/HRD/03. The core points relevant to Google Ads are:

• No guarantees of treatment outcomes.
• No before-and-after images without proper consent and disclaimer.
• No claims of being "best," "leading," or "number one" without verifiable evidence.
• No prescription medication names in public-facing ads.
• No price-only ads for medical procedures (price must accompany clinical context).
• All advertised practitioners must be DHA-licensed.

Google's Healthcare policy mirrors most of this. So a DHA-compliant ad is usually a Google-compliant ad. The reverse is not always true.

The before-and-after problem

Before-and-after photos are the most common cause of suspension. They are not banned, but they require:

• Written patient consent on file.
• Disclaimer that individual results vary.
• Real, unedited images (no Photoshop).
• No use in display ads or social ads without further restrictions.

For Google Ads, the safest play is to keep before-and-after content on landing pages, not in the ad creative itself.

The "best in Dubai" problem

Both DHA and Google flag "best" claims unless backed by verifiable evidence. "First Healthcare Google Partner in the UAE" is verifiable. "Best dermatology in Dubai" is not. The first is fine. The second triggers reviews.

Prescription medication names

Mentioning specific brand names of prescription drugs (e.g. Botox is technically a brand name) in public ads is regulated. Generic terminology is safer ("botulinum toxin treatment" instead of "Botox"). Most Dubai aesthetic clinics get away with brand names because enforcement is inconsistent, but it is a risk.

What to do

Three habits that keep accounts in compliance:

1. Audit ad copy quarterly. Run all live ad headlines and descriptions against the DHA checklist.
2. Move sensitive content to landing pages. Photos, claims, prices with disclaimers can live on the landing page with proper consent. They cannot live in the ad.
3. Keep DHA license numbers visible. Footer of every landing page should display the clinic's DHA license number. This is a regulatory requirement and a trust signal.

The point

Google Ads suspensions for healthcare are usually downstream of DHA non-compliance. Fix the compliance and Google rarely flags. Stay compliant and the campaigns run uninterrupted.

Published 7 Jun 2026 · Access One