A physical medicine and rehabilitation centre, the licensed facility providing specialist physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and physical-medicine outpatient and day-care services, serves one of the highest-volume referral segments in Dubai healthcare.¹
Every surgical procedure, sports injury, stroke, and musculoskeletal condition generates downstream rehabilitation demand. Dubai's active-lifestyle culture, growing over-50 population, and post-surgical care standards drive sustained patient volumes.
For operators, a rehabilitation centre benefits from predictable referral flows, multi-session treatment plans of 6 to 24 visits per patient, insurance-funded throughput, and a scalable therapist-led operational model.²
That sustained demand for quality healthcare, specialist capacity, and population growth is exactly where the opportunity lies.
The UAE has positioned healthcare as a strategic priority under We the UAE 2031, with explicit targets for capacity expansion, quality, Emiratisation, and medical tourism.
Who is this for?
Audience Segment
Specialist physicians
Profile
Consultants and specialists establishing a licensed private practice or specialist clinic in Dubai.
Setting up through Meydan Free Zone means 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, giving you a fast and cost-effective route into the Dubai market.
8690.63 - Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center
Under this activity, you are in the business of operating a licensed physical medicine and rehabilitation centre providing specialist physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation services.
That covers musculoskeletal rehabilitation, post-surgical recovery, neurological rehabilitation, sports rehabilitation, chronic pain management, and physical-medicine outpatient programmes, delivered under DHA licensing.¹
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation | Orthopaedic recovery. Post-fracture, post-joint-replacement, and spinal rehabilitation. |
| Sports Rehabilitation | Athletic recovery. ACL, rotator cuff, and sports-injury rehabilitation and return-to-play programmes. |
| Neurological Rehabilitation | Stroke and brain injury. Post-stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurological-condition rehabilitation. |
| Chronic Pain Management | Pain rehabilitation. Multidisciplinary chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain programmes. |
| Occupational Therapy | Functional recovery. Hand therapy, upper-limb rehabilitation, and return-to-work functional programmes. |
There are some things this activity does not cover. Hospital-based inpatient rehabilitation falls under hospital activity codes. Standalone gyms, fitness centres, and wellness spas are classified under sport or personal-services codes.
Mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation are classified under psychiatry codes.
In short: if you are operating a licensed physical medicine and rehabilitation centre, you are in. If you are running a hospital, a gym, or a wellness spa, you are not.
Third-Party Approval
This business activity requires third-party approval before the trade licence is issued. In practice, your facility, operational model, staffing, and regulatory documentation must be reviewed and cleared by the relevant authority before licensing.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.
References
- ¹ Dubai Health Authority. Strategic Plan and Healthcare Statistics — https://www.dha.gov.ae/
- ² UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention. National Health Strategy — https://mohap.gov.ae/en
- ³ Dubai Media Office. Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan — https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/infrastructure/dubai-2040-urban-master-plan
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