A newspaper report saying that expatriate doctors must learn Arabic within a year of being granted a licence to practice was denied by the Ministry of Health yesterday.

The report in a local Arabic newspaper said the decision was taken to eliminate any potential for misunderstandings between doctors and patients which could prove fatal. But the Director of the ministry's Private Medical Practice Department said that, while it would be beneficial for all doctors to speak Arabic, it is not mandatory.

Dr Ibrahim Ali Al Qadi said, "We live in the UAE and non-Arab doctors are bound to receive Arabic speaking patients, so we have suggested in the licence form that it would be good for doctors to learn Arabic as it would help them understand their patients better.

"But it has not been made compulsory for them to learn Arabic within one year of receiving the licence from the ministry. We are just trying to enhance communication between doctor and patient so a better service can be provided."