If you work for a Dubai registered employer (including a Free Zone company), your employer is required by law to provide you with a health insurance plan. A minimum standard of cover called the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP) has been established by DHA which comprises the minimum level of coverage that must be offered by all employers. The law also extends to sponsors who must provide health coverage for their spouses, dependents and domestic workers.
The implementation deadlines for the law are as follows:
Workers at companies employing more than 1000 employees must have coverage in place by end October 2014;
Workers at companies employing between 1000 and 100 employees must have coverage in place by end July 2015;
All other workers (including domestic staff), spouses and dependents must be covered by end June 2016.