HEALTHUAE Ambulance Number: Call 998 for Emergency

UAE Ambulance Number: Call 998 for a Medical Emergency

The ambulance number in the UAE is 998. It works from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, for citizens, residents and tourists. In serious cases an air ambulance can be sent if it is medically required.

UAE Emergency Numbers

Calling 999 also works for any emergency, and the operations room coordinates the response to your location. For a road accident, call 999. If anyone is injured, leave the vehicles where they are and wait for the ambulance.

What to Tell the Operator: The C-LINE Method

The Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) advises callers to give five details:

• C, Chief complaint: why you are calling, such as chest pain or breathing difficulty.
• L, Location: area, building or villa name, unit number, floor and nearby landmarks.
• I, Incident: what happened.
• N, Number of casualties: how many people are hurt.
• E, Extent of injuries: how serious they seem, including consciousness, breathing, bleeding and known medical conditions.

Who Pays for an Ambulance?

The emergency response is free for everyone, insured or not. Hospitals provide initial stabilising care. Treatment after stabilisation is paid for through insurance, which covers ambulance services for residents including basic plans, or out of pocket if you are uninsured.

Apps and Other Ways to Call

In Dubai you can also request an ambulance through the DCAS SOS app. In Abu Dhabi the AD999 app does the same, and people of determination can send an SMS to 5999 with the incident details, the patient’s location and a contact number. In Dubai, the DCAS free online first-aid course is available through the Dubai Ambulance app under the Estijaba service.

Related: the rules for giving way to ambulances, why 999 misuse matters and UAE National Ambulance case numbers.