Health sector services overhaul: UAE Ministry of Health unveils 2025 Bureaucracy Elimination Plan

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) has announced the launch of a comprehensive plan for 2025 aimed at eliminating bureaucracy and enhancing the efficiency and flexibility of healthcare services nationwide. This initiative is designed to improve user experience across all categories and redefine service delivery in the sector.

Abdullah Ahmad Ahli, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at MOHAP, stated in a press briefing that these initiatives reflect the ministry’s commitment to continuously enhancing its services. He emphasized that innovative solutions will be deployed to ensure smart, sustainable, and user-centric healthcare services, strengthening the sector’s readiness for the future.

Ahli highlighted that the ministry is currently working on a large-scale Service Re-engineering Project, which aims to optimize, redesign, and enhance all its services. This initiative is being developed in collaboration with stakeholders and strategic partners to align with user needs and preferences.

Digital Channels to Enhance Service Efficiency

The project also focuses on improving the effectiveness of digital channels to ensure faster, more efficient service delivery. Ahli mentioned that MOHAP is implementing customer councils, partner focus groups, and direct user interviews to gather feedback and optimize the service experience.

Unified Licensing Platform

A key highlight of the ministry’s bureaucracy elimination program is the launch of the National Unified Healthcare Licensing Platform—a digital solution that will centralize and streamline the licensing process for all healthcare professionals in the UAE. This platform aims to simplify procedures, attract top medical talent, and facilitate their seamless integration into the country’s healthcare system.

Ahli noted that digital transformation is one of the ministry’s flagship projects for 2025, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency across all digital services and platforms. This will ensure a seamless, user-friendly experience that meets customer expectations.

National digital experience center

Another major initiative under this program is the National Digital Experience Center, which aims to maximize the utilization of MOHAP’s existing digital laboratory. This federal-level center will expand collaborations with private and local sectors, making it a pioneering hub for digital healthcare innovation.

Engaging the public in service design

MOHAP is committed to actively involving the community in designing services that align with user behavior, preferences, and needs. Ahli highlighted that MOHAP’s Customer Experience Lab recently won the “People Engagement” category at the inaugural Government Bureaucracy Elimination Award announced during the World Government Summit 2025.

The People Engagement category recognizes government initiatives that foster transparency, trust, and collaboration between the government and the public by integrating user feedback into service development.

Selection Criteria for the Bureaucracy Elimination Program

Regarding how services are selected for the bureaucracy elimination initiative, Ahli explained that key criteria include:

• Public demand for the service

• Processing time

• Number of required documents

• Service integration levels

• Revenue impact

The selection process is based on interactive research, surveys, benchmarking against global best practices, and collaborative expertise exchange with partners.

Ahli emphasized that the program has led to significant milestones in simplifying government services, reducing unnecessary procedures, and enhancing the agility of healthcare services. These efforts contribute to strengthening the UAE’s global leadership in government efficiency and increasing customer satisfaction.

 Transformational outcomes

Reflecting on the impact of the 2024 Bureaucracy Elimination Program, Ahli stated that the ministry achieved groundbreaking transformations in service delivery, enabling greater accessibility and ease.

Key results from 2024 include:

• 90% reduction in service processing time

• 70% reduction in procedural steps

• 70% reduction in required documents

• 70% reduction in regulatory conditions

• 75% reduction in in-person visits to service centers

Ahli noted that all redesigned services underwent user experience testing, with insights gathered through customer councils, focus groups, interviews, and surveys.

“These outcomes align with the ministry’s commitment to delivering human-centric, seamless, and efficient services that surpass customer expectations, eliminate administrative bottlenecks, and enhance operational efficiency,” he said.

He added that the initiative has reduced human intervention, accelerated processing times, and streamlined government transactions. This has led to faster licensing approvals without repetitive documentation and minimized the need for multiple in-person visits.

With these transformative reforms, MOHAP is setting a new benchmark for smart, efficient, and customer-focused healthcare services in the UAE.