Sharjah Ministry of Health: How MOHAP, EHS and the Sharjah Health Authority Divide the Work
Who runs healthcare in Sharjah: MOHAP's Sharjah office, EHS public hospitals and the Sharjah Health Authority's licensing role, with contacts and fees.
There is no separate "Sharjah Ministry of Health". Three bodies share the job. MOHAP, the federal Ministry of Health and Prevention, sets national health policy and licenses federal health facilities and their staff. Emirates Health Services (EHS) runs the federal public hospitals and health centres in Sharjah, such as Al Qassimi and Kuwait Hospital (call centre 800 8877). The Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) is the emirate's own regulator: since Executive Council Decision No. 29 of 2025 it licenses private and Sharjah government facilities and their professionals (+971 6 509 1666).
Last checked: 26 October 2026
Who does what in Sharjah healthcare
| Body | Level | Role in Sharjah | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) | Federal ministry | National health policy and laws. Licenses federal health facilities and professionals, and runs federal health services online | Call centre 80011111; Sharjah Customer Happiness Centre, The Gate Tower, Al Khan |
| Emirates Health Services (EHS) | Federal provider | Runs the government hospitals, primary health centres, public health and medical fitness centres in Sharjah | 800 8877 (24/7); info@ehs.gov.ae |
| Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) | Emirate authority | Licenses and inspects private and Sharjah government facilities and their professionals, including in free zones. Runs Sharjah government health insurance and medical committees | +971 6 509 1666; info@sha.gov.ae |
| Sharjah Healthcare City (SHCC) | Free zone | Healthcare investment free zone, regulated by SHA | Via SHA |
People searching "Sharjah Ministry of Health" or "وزارة الصحة الشارقة" usually want one of three things: a government hospital or health centre (EHS), a professional or facility licence (SHA or MOHAP), or the ministry's office in Sharjah (MOHAP). The sections below cover each.
MOHAP in Sharjah
MOHAP is the federal regulator for the UAE. In Sharjah its main roles are national policy, federal licensing and federal services. Its Sharjah office is the Sharjah Customer Happiness Centre:
- Address: Corniche Road, Al Khan, The Gate Tower, 7th Floor
- Hours: Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm; Friday 7:30 am to 12 pm
- Busiest hour: 11 am to 12 pm, according to MOHAP
- Call centre: 80011111
Most MOHAP services run online through the MOHAP website or app with UAE PASS. Professionals working in EHS hospitals, or other federal facilities, hold a MOHAP licence. Our MOHAP license guide covers evaluation, exams and fees.
Emirates Health Services: public hospitals in Sharjah
If you need a government hospital or clinic in Sharjah, you need EHS, not the ministry. EHS took over the running of federal hospitals and centres from MOHAP and now operates six hospitals in Sharjah:
- Al Qassimi Hospital (Sharjah city)
- Al Qassimi Hospital for Women and Children
- Kuwait Hospital Sharjah
- Khorfakkan Hospital and Kalba Hospital (east coast)
- Al Dhaid Hospital (central region)
EHS also runs primary health centres, the Sharjah Public Health Center for vaccinations, and medical fitness centres for residency visa screening. Book through the EHS app with UAE PASS or call 800 8877. Our Emirates Health Services guide lists services and booking steps, and the visa medical guide covers fitness tests in Sharjah.
Sharjah Health Authority (SHA)
SHA is part of the Government of Sharjah. It was set up in 2010 under Emiri Decree No. 12 of 2010, and later decrees added to its powers. Its official remit includes health policy and standards for the emirate, licensing professionals and facilities, inspection, Sharjah government health insurance and the Healthy City programme. Sharjah was recognised by the WHO as the region's first healthy city in 2015.
SHA's licensing role since 2025
On 15 July 2025 the Sharjah Executive Council issued a decision regulating health activities and professions in the emirate (Sharjah Executive Council). Under it, SHA licenses and oversees:
- local health establishments of the Sharjah Government;
- private health facilities in Sharjah, including in its free zones;
- the professionals working in those facilities.
Federal government facilities in Sharjah, meaning EHS, are excluded and stay under the federal system. On 19 May 2026 the Council amended this decision, now cited as Executive Council Resolution No. 29 of 2025, and added administrative penalties for violations (Gulf News). Neither announcement lists penalty amounts.
If you are joining a Sharjah clinic, ask which authority issued its facility licence before you apply for yours.
SHA professional licence: key facts
From SHA's health professional services:
- Step 1, assessment: the professional requests a Healthcare Professional Assessment for their title. SHA follows the Unified PQR used across UAE regulators.
- Step 2, licence: the facility's representative applies for the licence on the SHA portal. You need a valid assessment certificate, an offer letter and malpractice insurance (which can follow within 14 days of approval).
- Fees: full-time licence AED 3,000 for physicians, dentists and TCIM practitioners; AED 1,000 for nurses, allied health, pharmacists and similar categories; part-time AED 4,000; visiting physician AED 2,000.
- Processing: 8 working days. Full-time licences last one year.
- Practice gap: over three years needs an accredited training programme.
- Over 60: a physical and mental health report is required.
- Good Standing Certificate: AED 400 (8 working days) or AED 750 urgent (2 working days). See our Good Standing Certificate guide.
SHA also lists a licence transfer service as "under implementation". Until it goes live, SHA asks applicants to email hred@sha.gov.ae with the service name as the subject.
SHA services for Sharjah government employees
- Health insurance: enrolment of Sharjah government employees, retirees and dependants, and requests for eligibility at University Hospital Sharjah.
- Medical committees: sick leave over three days for Sharjah government employees, and escort leave approvals inside and outside the UAE. For ordinary sick notes see our sick leave certificate guide.
- Discount schemes: in October 2026 SHA signed an agreement with Medcare for discounted services at four Medcare facilities in Sharjah for senior Sharjah government employees and family members aged 65 and over, People of Determination and other priority groups (Gulf News).
SHA contact details
- Address: Al Dhaid Road, Muzairah, Intersection No. 6, Sharjah
- Phone: +971 6 509 1666
- Email: info@sha.gov.ae (SHA says it replies within 24 hours)
- Website: sha.shj.ae
Sharjah Healthcare City
Sharjah Healthcare City is a healthcare free zone formed in 2012. It describes itself as an independent body regulated by SHA, and SHA's chairman also chairs SHCC. SHCC handles investment and free-zone setup through a single window, and SHA regulates healthcare there as it does across the emirate.
Health insurance in Sharjah
Since 1 January 2025, private sector employees and domestic workers with Sharjah residence visas need at least the federal basic health insurance package, paid by the employer. MOHRE sets the premium at AED 320 a year, and the package excludes maternity and dental. See our basic health insurance guide. Sharjah government employees are insured through SHA's scheme.
Which body do I contact?
| I want to... | Go to |
|---|---|
| Book at Al Qassimi, Kuwait Hospital or a government health centre | EHS app or 800 8877 |
| Do my residency visa medical in Sharjah | EHS medical fitness centre |
| Get licensed to work at a private Sharjah clinic | SHA (your facility applies after your SHA assessment) |
| Get licensed to work at an EHS hospital | MOHAP |
| Open a private clinic in Sharjah | SHA initial approval, then permanent licence after inspection |
| Complain about a private clinic in Sharjah | SHA (info@sha.gov.ae or +971 6 509 1666) |
| Check a federal service in person | MOHAP Customer Happiness Centre, The Gate Tower, Al Khan |
Jobs in Sharjah healthcare
The licence you need depends on the employer. EHS hospitals need a MOHAP licence. Private Sharjah hospitals and clinics now fall under SHA. Start with our MOHAP license guide or the role guides for nurses and pharmacists.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Sharjah Ministry of Health?
No. The UAE has one federal Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). Sharjah has its own regulator, the Sharjah Health Authority, and its public hospitals are run by Emirates Health Services.
What is the MOHAP office address in Sharjah?
The MOHAP Customer Happiness Centre is on Corniche Road, Al Khan, The Gate Tower, 7th Floor. It opens Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 12 pm.
What is the Sharjah Health Authority phone number?
+971 6 509 1666. The email is info@sha.gov.ae.
Who licenses private clinics in Sharjah?
The Sharjah Health Authority, under the Sharjah Executive Council decision of July 2025. Federal facilities such as EHS hospitals stay under the federal system. Ask your employer which authority licensed the facility.
Is Al Qassimi Hospital run by the Sharjah government?
No. Al Qassimi Hospital is a federal hospital run by Emirates Health Services. Book through the EHS app or call 800 8877.
Can I work in Sharjah with a DHA licence?
Not on its own. You need a licence from the authority that regulates your facility: SHA for private Sharjah facilities or MOHAP for federal ones.
Run a clinic in Sharjah? Our guide to Google Ads for clinics in Sharjah covers the advertising rules, and Access One can run the campaigns.
Sources
- Sharjah Health Authority: About the authority
- Sharjah Health Authority: Health professional services
- Sharjah Executive Council: Decision to regulate health activities and professions (July 2025)
- Gulf News: Sharjah approves stricter healthcare regulations (May 2026)
- Gulf News: Decree amending Emiri Decree No. 12 of 2010 on SHA
- Sharjah Healthcare City: About
- MOHAP: Sharjah Customer Happiness Centre
- MOHAP: Service channels (call centre 80011111)
- EHS: Inpatient services (hospital list)
- MOHRE: Health insurance scheme
- Gulf News: SHA and Medcare discounted services (October 2026)
Published 26 Oct 2026 · Access One
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