How many CPD hours do allied health professionals need in the UAE?

Allied health professionals licensed under DOH Abu Dhabi, DHA Dubai, SHA, or MOHAP must complete 10 CPD hours per year. Under DHCC (Dubai Healthcare City), allied health professionals follow a biennial (2-year) system: Allied Health Professionals in senior/specialist roles need 30 CPD points over 2 years; Allied Health Assistants and Technicians need 20 CPD points over 2 years.

What is the DHCC sub-tier system for allied health?

DHCC differentiates allied health CPD requirements by professional grade. Senior-grade professionals (physiotherapists, laboratory scientists, radiographers, speech therapists, dietitians, occupational therapists in specialist roles) require 30 CPD points every 2 years with a minimum 15 Category 1. Junior-grade professionals (physiotherapy assistants, lab technicians, radiography technicians) require 20 CPD points every 2 years with a minimum 10 Category 1. Confirm your grade through the MASAAR portal under GL/HCP/007/03.

What is the Category 1 vs Category 2 split for allied health?

Under DOH and MOHAP, at least 50% of your 10 annual hours (i.e., 5 hrs) must be Category 1 (formal/accredited activities: accredited workshops, certified courses in your discipline). The remaining up to 50% can be Category 2 (non-formal: journal reading, self-study, peer review). DHA and SHA do not enforce a formal Cat 1/Cat 2 split. DHCC requires 50% Cat 1 over the biennial cycle.

Which professions are classified as allied health in the UAE?

UAE authorities classify a broad group of non-physician, non-nursing, non-pharmacy health professions as allied health. Common examples include: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, clinical dietitians, medical laboratory scientists, diagnostic radiographers, radiation therapists, sonographers, dental technicians, and their respective assistant/technician grades. For DHCC specifically, pharmacists are also classified under allied health.

Are BLS certifications mandatory for allied health professionals?

BLS (Basic Life Support) is a mandatory competency prerequisite for allied health licensure under DOH and MOHAP. BLS does NOT count toward your CPD hour total — it is a zero-credit mandatory prerequisite that must be maintained separately from your CPD portfolio.

Can online CPD courses count for allied health professionals?

Yes. Under DHA, 100% of allied health CPD hours can come from online programmes if they are relevant to your discipline. Under DOH and MOHAP, online courses can be Category 1 if they carry a DOH accreditation number or recognised provider stamp. DHCC caps online CPD at 50% of the 2-year cycle total.

Do CPD hours carry over to the next year?

No. Under all UAE authorities, CPD hours must be earned within the specific licensure cycle and cannot be carried forward. DHA explicitly prohibits carry-over in §18.8. DHCC’s biennial cycle accumulation resets at the start of each 2-year period.

How do I submit CPD evidence as an allied health professional?

Submission portals differ by authority: DOH professionals submit through TAMM (tamm.abudhabi.ae → Healthcare Professional Services); DHA through Sheryan (sheryan.dha.gov.ae → CPD section); SHA through the SHA portal (sha.shj.ae); MOHAP through the MOHAP portal (mohap.gov.ae → License renewal section); DHCC allied health professionals submit through MASAAR (dhcc.ae) selecting the allied health category that matches your grade.

Do visiting or locum allied health professionals need CPD?

No. Visiting and temporary licenses (typically 3–6 months) have a CPD target of zero. This is common for allied health professionals on short-term contracts in the UAE. You must still maintain BLS and any other mandatory credentials, but you do not need to accumulate CPD hours during your visiting period. (Source: v4.11 §6.9 — License Type & Career Stage Handling.)

I’m in an allied health training programme — do I need to log CPD separately?

If you are enrolled in an active structured training programme recognised by your licensing authority, your programme enrolment may fulfil your CPD requirement for the duration of the programme. DOH awards CPD credits per year of enrolment in recognised programmes (CPD Standard Appendix 1) — keep your programme director’s letter confirming active enrolment, programme name, and dates as your compliance evidence. Check with your specific authority whether your training programme qualifies, as not all allied health training programmes carry automatic CPD fulfilment.

UAE CPD Requirements for Allied Health Professionals 2026 — All Authorities

CPD Requirements by Authority

All five UAE licensing authorities require allied health professionals to complete CPD annually (or per cycle). DHCC uses a biennial system with two sub-tiers based on professional grade.

Authority	Hours / Cycle	Cat 1 / Cat 2	DHCC Sub-tier	Cycle
DOH	10 hrs / yr	50% Cat 1 min	—	Annual
DHA	10 hrs / yr	No formal split	—	Annual
SHA	10 hrs / yr	No formal split	—	Annual
MOHAP	10 hrs / yr	50% Cat 1 min	—	Annual
DHCC	30 pts / 2yr (Allied Professional / senior)	50% Cat 1 min	20 pts / 2yr (assistant / technician)	Biennial (2yr)

Source: UAE authority CPD standards (2024–2025). SHA requirements are based on PQR baseline — no SHA-specific CPD circular has been published to date.

DHCC splits allied health into Professional (30 points) and Technician/Assistant (20 points)

Category 1 and Category 2 by Authority

DOH and MOHAP enforce a strict 50%/50% formal/non-formal balance for allied health. DHA and SHA do not enforce a formal split. DHCC requires 50% Cat 1 over the biennial cycle.

DOH & MOHAP — 50/50 Split Required

✓ Min 5 hrs Category 1 (formal/accredited)
✓ Max 5 hrs Category 2 (non-formal)
! BLS — mandatory but 0 CPD hours

DHA & SHA — No Formal Split

✓ All 10 hrs can be online (DHA §18.5)
✓ No carry-over to next year (DHA §18.8)
— SHA: no published Cat 1/2 guidance

DHCC Allied Health Sub-tiers

DHCC differentiates allied health CPD requirements by professional grade. Refer to DHCC Guideline GL/HCP/007/03 (via the MASAAR portal) to confirm your classification.

DHCC Allied Professional / Senior Grade

30 CPD points / 2yr

Includes qualified professionals such as:

• Physiotherapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech & Language Therapist
• Medical Laboratory Scientist
• Diagnostic Radiographer
• Dietitian / Sonographer

Min 15 pts Category 1

DHCC Assistant / Technician Grade

20 CPD points / 2yr

Includes support professionals such as:

• Physiotherapy Assistant
• Laboratory Technician
• Radiography Technician
• Dental Technician
• Allied Health Assistant roles

Min 10 pts Category 1

Allied Health Profession Examples

Under DOH, DHA, SHA, and MOHAP, all of the following professions require 10 CPD hours per year. The DHCC sub-tier column shows whether that role typically falls in the senior (30/2yr) or junior (20/2yr) grade at DHCC.

Profession	Annual CPD (DOH/DHA/SHA/MOHAP)	DHCC Sub-tier
Physiotherapist	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Occupational Therapist	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Speech and Language Therapist	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Clinical Dietitian / Nutritionist	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Medical Laboratory Scientist	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Diagnostic Radiographer	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Radiation Therapist	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Sonographer / Ultrasonographer	10 hrs / yr	Specialist / Senior
Physiotherapy Assistant	10 hrs / yr	Assistant / Technician
Laboratory Technician / Assistant	10 hrs / yr	Assistant / Technician
Radiography Technician	10 hrs / yr	Assistant / Technician
Dental Technician	10 hrs / yr	Assistant / Technician

DHCC sub-tier classification is indicative — confirm your exact grade through the MASAAR portal using GL/HCP/007/03.

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How to Submit CPD Hours

DOH

TAMM platform (tamm.abudhabi.ae) → Healthcare Professional Services

DHA

Sheryan portal (sheryan.dha.gov.ae) → CPD section

SHA

SHA portal (sha.shj.ae)

MOHAP

MOHAP portal (mohap.gov.ae) → License renewal section

DHCC

MASAAR portal (dhcc.ae) → CPD & Licensing (Allied Health — select sub-tier)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✕
Counting BLS hours toward CPD — BLS is a mandatory prerequisite, not a CPD activity.
✕
Submitting more than 50% Category 2 (non-formal) under DOH or MOHAP — the hard cap is 5 hrs maximum.
✕
Assuming CPD hours carry over to the next year — they don’t under any UAE authority.
✕
Selecting the wrong DHCC sub-tier — confirm whether you are Allied Professional (30/2yr) or Assistant/Technician (20/2yr) in MASAAR.
✕
Not tracking DHCC separately if you work in Dubai Healthcare City — DHCC has its own biennial framework.
✕
Missing that pharmacists at DHCC are also classified as allied health — the same sub-tier rules apply.

Calculate Your CPD Gap

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Frequently Asked Questions

See also — CPD requirements by authority

Do BLS and ACLS Count Toward CPD in the UAE?

UAE CPD Requirements for Allied Health Professionals (2026)

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