Choosing a plastic surgeon is one of the few medical decisions most people make with no medical training of their own. In Dubai it feels harder still: clinics advertise heavily, titles vary from one website to the next, and it is not always clear who is licensed to operate. The good news is that the UAE has one of the more transparent licensing systems in the region. Once you know what the grades mean and where to look them up, you can check any surgeon in about ten minutes.

Licence grades are regulated, not job titles

In the UAE, “general practitioner”, “specialist” and “consultant” are not descriptions a doctor chooses for a business card. They are licence grades issued by a health regulator after a review of qualifications, training and years of documented practice. A doctor may only use the grade that appears on their licence.

• General practitioner (GP) holds a medical degree and a general licence. A GP may not perform plastic surgery, and in most emirates may only offer limited aesthetic treatments after additional accreditation.
• Specialist holds a recognised postgraduate qualification in a named specialty, such as plastic surgery, plus several years of supervised practice in that field after qualifying. This is the minimum grade that should appear on the licence of anyone offering surgical procedures.
• Consultant is the senior grade. It requires the specialist qualification plus a longer record of independent practice at specialist level, verified by the regulator. The exact thresholds are published by each authority and are broadly aligned across the country.

Two points follow. The word “consultant” on a clinic sign means nothing unless it also appears on the regulator’s register. And a licence is granted for one specialty: a specialist in dermatology or general surgery is not licensed to perform breast or body surgery, however experienced.

Plastic surgery is not the same as “aesthetic medicine”

Many clinics call themselves cosmetic or aesthetic centres. The label is legal but says nothing about surgical qualifications. Injectables, laser and skin treatments can be delivered by doctors from several specialties with an aesthetic accreditation. Operations under anaesthesia, from liposuction to breast surgery, require a doctor licensed specifically in plastic surgery, working in a facility licensed for that surgery. On any profile, look for the exact phrase “plastic surgery” in the specialty field.

Which regulator covers which emirate

The UAE does not have a single national medical register for everyone. Where a doctor practises determines who licenses them:

• Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licenses doctors and facilities in Dubai, outside the free zones. Dr Saba Al Marush practises at Valiant Clinic & Hospital in City Walk, so her licence is issued by the DHA.
• Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) covers Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
• Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) covers Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
• Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) is a free zone with its own regulatory arm. Doctors working inside DHCC hold a DHCC licence rather than a DHA one.

The three main authorities share a qualification framework, so a specialist grade means much the same in Sharjah as in Dubai. A surgeon who operates in more than one emirate needs a valid licence from each regulator.

How to check a licence yourself

Each regulator provides a free public search. The DHA search is part of its Sheryan licensing system; DoH and MOHAP publish similar lookup tools on their websites. You do not need an account. Search by the doctor’s name and confirm five things:

1. The name matches the person you are consulting, including the spelling used on their documents.
2. The grade shown is Specialist or Consultant.
3. The specialty is plastic surgery, not a neighbouring field.
4. The facility listed is the clinic or hospital where your operation will actually take place.
5. The licence status is active and the expiry date has not passed. Licences are renewed regularly, so a lapsed entry is worth asking about.

If you want to compare several practitioners before booking consultations, directories that gather licensed doctors by field are a reasonable starting point. You can browse plastic surgery specialists across the UAE and then confirm each shortlisted name against the regulator’s own register. A directory listing is a convenience, not a credential; the register is the source of truth.

What the training behind the licence should look like

Plastic surgery training worldwide follows a similar shape: a medical degree, several years of general surgical training, then a dedicated residency in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, finishing with a national board or college examination. Dr Al Marush, for example, completed her plastic surgery training and board certification in France before relocating to Dubai. Other UAE surgeons trained in the United Kingdom, the United States, Egypt, India or elsewhere. No route is automatically superior; what matters is that the training was in plastic surgery specifically and led to a recognised board qualification.

Membership of professional societies, such as the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, is a useful sign of continuing education and peer review. Keep it in proportion: membership is not a licence, and a society logo never replaces a check of the register.

Check the facility and the team, not only the surgeon

Surgery is a team event. The anaesthetist must also be licensed at specialist or consultant grade, and the facility must be licensed for the category of surgery performed. Day-surgery centres cover shorter procedures; longer or combined operations normally need a hospital with overnight care. Ask where your operation will happen, who will give the anaesthetic and what happens if something unexpected occurs. A qualified surgeon answers without hesitation, because these points are part of routine consent.

Questions worth asking at a consultation

• What is your licence grade and which regulator issued it?
• Where did you complete your plastic surgery residency, and which board certified you?
• How many times have you performed this particular operation?
• Which facility will the surgery take place in, and is it licensed for it?
• Who is the anaesthetist, and what is their grade?
• What are the realistic risks for someone with my medical history, and what happens if a revision is needed?

None of these questions is hostile. Experienced surgeons expect them.

Warning signs

• “Cosmetic surgeon” or “aesthetic doctor” on the profile, but no plastic surgery specialty on the register.
• A licence number that cannot be found, or that belongs to a different facility.
• Guaranteed results or promises of a specific outcome. No honest surgeon can offer these.
• Pressure to decide quickly, or a consultation that ends without a discussion of risks.
• Surgery proposed in a clinic that is not licensed for the level of anaesthesia involved.
• Vagueness about who will actually perform the operation.

A ten-minute routine

Before a consultation, look the surgeon up on the regulator’s register and confirm grade, specialty and facility. During it, ask the questions above and check the answers against what you found. Afterwards, take time to decide. A qualified surgeon loses nothing if you wait a week, and neither do you.

Dr Saba Al Marush is a French-board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon licensed by the Dubai Health Authority and practising at Valiant Clinic & Hospital, City Walk. Her licence details are available on the DHA register, and she is happy to talk through her training and your options at a consultation.