Every healthcare professional licensed by the Dubai Health Authority is required to complete a set number of Continuing Medical Education hours each year. Those hours must come from DHA approved training centers. Not from any course or any provider. Only from those holding formal DHA accreditation.
This distinction matters more than most professionals realise. I regularly speak with doctors and nurses who have completed courses, attended conferences, and finished online programmes, only to discover at renewal time that the hours do not count because the provider was not on the DHA approved list. That is a significant problem when you are 30 days from your licence expiry.
This guide covers everything you need to know: what the accreditation means, how to verify a centre’s status before you enrol, which course types are accepted, how the hours connect to your licence renewal, and what happens if you fall short.
For full details on how CME hours feed into the DHA renewal process, read our dedicated guide: DHA Licence Renewal Process for Healthcare Professionals in Dubai.
Why DHA Accreditation of Training Centres Matters
The DHA requires that continuing education be completed through a structured, auditable system. DHA approved training centres are institutions that have met the DHA’s standards for course quality, clinical relevance, faculty qualifications, and documentation practices.
When you complete a course through an approved centre, the hours are logged directly in the DHA’s system. The hours appear automatically in your Sheryan profile and count against your annual requirement. When you complete a course through a provider that is not DHA approved, those hours do not exist for licensing purposes, regardless of what you learned or what certificate you hold.
Verification tip: Before enrolling in any CME course, check the provider’s DHA accreditation status on the DHA’s official website at dha.gov.ae. The approved centre register is publicly searchable. A course registration fee will not be returned if you later discover the provider is not approved.
CME and CPD Hour Requirements by Profession
The DHA sets different annual CME and CPD hour requirements depending on your professional category. Meeting the requirement for your specific profession is not optional. A shortfall at renewal time will delay your application regardless of how strong the rest of your file is.
| Profession | Annual CME Hours Required | Accepted Source |
| Physician / Dentist | 40 hours | DHA approved centres only |
| Nurse / Midwife | 20 hours | DHA approved centres only |
| Allied Health Professional | 10 hours | DHA approved centres only |
| Pharmacist | 30 hours | DHA approved centres only |
These hours must be completed within each annual cycle. An individual who completes 80 hours in one year cannot carry forward 40 hours to the following year. Each renewal cycle is assessed on its own. Check your balance regularly through your Sheryan Portal dashboard rather than waiting until you are close to your renewal date.
Types of DHA Accreditation for Training Institutions
The DHA accredits different types of training and educational institutions under different frameworks depending on the nature of the training they provide.
- DHA Approved Training Centre: CPD and CME course delivery for licensed professionals. The most common category for working healthcare professionals.
- DHA Accredited Medical School: undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Relevant for Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) recognition.
- DHA Approved Simulation Centre: clinical skills and procedural training. Used by hospitals and specialist training providers.
- DHA Accredited CPD Provider: online and blended learning CPD programmes. Applies to eLearning platforms and professional bodies.
The DHA eLearning Portal: Online CME for Dubai Licensed Professionals
The DHA operates its own eLearning portal, accessible through the Sheryan system. This platform hosts DHA approved online courses across clinical specialities, patient safety, infection control, ethics, and regulatory compliance. Courses completed through the DHA eLearning portal count directly toward your annual CME requirement.
For professionals with demanding clinical schedules, the eLearning portal is often the most practical route to completing a significant portion of annual CME hours. Courses are available at any time and cover a wide range of clinical and general subjects.
What to check before completing an online course
- The provider’s name appears on the DHA approved centre register at dha.gov.ae
- The specific course is listed as DHA accredited, not just the platform in general
- The course completion is reported to the DHA automatically, not manually by you
- The CME hours appear in your Sheryan profile within the expected timeframe after completion
If hours from a completed course do not appear in your Sheryan profile within two weeks of completion, contact the training provider before contacting the DHA. The most common cause is an administrative delay on the provider side.
How DHA Approved Training Connects to Professional Licence Renewal
CME completion is one of the mandatory eligibility conditions for DHA licence renewal. The Sheryan Portal checks your CME balance automatically when you open a renewal application. If your hours are short of the requirement for your profession, the application cannot proceed until the shortfall is resolved.
This creates a practical timeline problem for professionals who leave CME completion to the final months of their licence cycle. Some courses have scheduled start dates. Institutions may have waiting lists. If you discover a shortfall six weeks before your renewal date, you may not have enough time to resolve it without risking a late renewal penalty.
Important: Begin tracking your CME balance at the start of each licence cycle. Log in to your Sheryan dashboard quarterly and verify that completed courses have been credited. Resolving a discrepancy takes time you may not have in the final weeks before renewal.
DHA Qualification Recognition: How Medical Institutions Outside Dubai Are Assessed
For professionals who completed their training outside the UAE, the DHA uses the Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) framework to assess whether the institution and the qualification meet the standards required for licensing in Dubai. The PQR framework covers three dimensions:
- The institution: whether the university or medical school is recognised by the DHA or a recognised international accreditation body
- The programme: whether the specific degree or diploma meets the clinical curriculum standards the DHA expects for your professional category
- The country of training: some countries carry a general recognition status with the DHA, while others require individual assessment reviewed on its own merits
The DHA does not accept qualification information submitted by the applicant alone. All qualifications must be verified at the primary source through DataFlow Group, the DHA’s designated verification provider. DataFlow contacts your institution directly and confirms whether the qualification was genuinely awarded.
How to Verify Whether a Training Centre Is DHA Approved
The DHA maintains a publicly accessible register of approved training centres on its official website. This register is the authoritative source. Marketing materials and course catalogues are not.
- Go to dha.gov.ae and navigate to the Health Regulation section
- Access the approved training centre register
- Search for the institution by name
- Confirm the accreditation category matches the type of course you intend to complete
- Check the accreditation expiry date if listed
An institution whose DHA accreditation has expired is not an approved centre regardless of whether it was previously approved. Accreditation must be current at the time you complete the course.
How Training Institutions Apply for DHA Accreditation
Healthcare training providers that wish to offer DHA recognised courses must apply for accreditation through the DHA’s Health Regulation Sector. To be considered, an institution must demonstrate:
- Qualified faculty: course instructors must hold relevant professional qualifications and, where applicable, active DHA or UAE professional licences
- Curriculum standards: courses must meet the DHA’s clinical relevance and learning outcome requirements
- Assessment mechanisms: approved courses must include appropriate assessment to verify participant learning
- Reporting systems: the institution must report course completions to the DHA accurately and within the required timeframe
- Quality assurance: ongoing accreditation requires evidence of internal quality review
Accreditation is not permanent. DHA approved training centre status must be renewed periodically and is subject to audit. Institutions that fail to maintain the required standards can have their accreditation suspended.
Frequently Asked Questions: DHA Approved Training Centers
Q1: How do I find the list of DHA approved training centres in Dubai?
The DHA maintains an official register of approved training centres on its website at dha.gov.ae. The register is publicly accessible and searchable by institution name and accreditation category. This is the only authoritative source.
Q2: Can I complete my CME hours through an international conference or symposium?
International conferences can count toward your DHA CME requirement if the organising body holds DHA approved status or if the event has been specifically accredited by the DHA for CME purposes. Verify the accreditation status of the specific event before attending and confirm that the hours will be reported to your DHA profile automatically.
Q3: What happens if the DHA approved centre I used loses its accreditation after I completed a course?
Hours earned and reported to the DHA while the centre held valid accreditation remain credited to your CME log. The loss of accreditation affects future courses, not courses completed during the period when the accreditation was current.
Q4: Can CME hours earned in another emirate or country count toward my DHA requirement?
Yes, provided the course was delivered by a DHA approved training centre or a DHA accredited CPD provider. The DHA’s focus is on the accreditation status of the provider, not the geographic location of the course.
Q5: My CME hours from a completed course have not appeared in my Sheryan profile. What should I do?
Contact the training provider first. The most common cause is an administrative delay or reporting error on the provider’s side. Give the provider ten to fourteen working days from the date of course completion before escalating. If the provider confirms it has reported the hours, but they still do not appear, contact the DHA’s Health Regulation Sector with the course details.
Q6: Can a hospital set up its own internal training programme and have it DHA approved?
Yes. Healthcare facilities can apply for DHA approved training centre status to deliver internal CME programmes for their staff. The facility must meet the same accreditation standards as any external provider, including faculty qualifications, curriculum standards, assessment mechanisms, and reporting systems.
Need Help Navigating DHA Training Requirements for Your Team?
At Citadel HMC, we help healthcare professionals verify that their CME records are accurate, address shortfalls before they become renewal problems, and support facilities in establishing DHA compliant internal training programmes for their clinical teams.Book your free assessment now and get clarity on your training compliance position before your next renewal. Start here.