Four exams control who can practice healthcare in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The DHA exam lets you work in Dubai only. The DOH exam (formerly called HAAD) covers Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The MOH exam applies to the five Northern Emirates: Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. The SMLE is Saudi Arabia's national licensing exam, valid across the entire country. One warning before you go further: UAE's MOH and Saudi Arabia's licensing body are not the same thing, even though people use "MOH" for both. Pick your exam based on where you plan to work, not just which one sounds familiar. At a Glance: Which Exam Covers Which Region Here is the short version. Match your target location to the right column and you already know your exam. Exam Authority Covers Required For DHA Dubai Health Authority Dubai Practicing in Dubai DOH (HAAD) Department of Health Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Practicing in Abu Dhabi MOH (MOHAP) Ministry of Health and Prevention Sharjah, Ajman, RAK, Fujairah, UAQ Practicing in the Northern Emirates SMLE Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) Saudi Arabia, nationwide Practicing anywhere in Saudi Arabia None of these licenses overlap. A DHA license will not let you work in Abu Dhabi. A DOH license will not let you work in Dubai. Each authority runs its own exam, its own portal and its own rules. Find Your Exam The Naming Trap: Two Different "MOH"s This confuses more applicants than anything else on this list. In the UAE, MOH refers to the Ministry of Health and Prevention, sometimes written as MOHAP. It licenses professionals for five Northern Emirates. In Saudi Arabia, people often call the licensing body "MOH" too, out of habit. But the actual regulator there is the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, or SCFHS. SCFHS runs the SMLE. If someone tells you they passed "the MOH exam" for Saudi Arabia, ask which country they mean. The exams, portals and requirements are completely different, even though the nickname is the same. Each Exam Explained DHA Exam (Dubai) The DHA exam is a computer-based test delivered through Prometric. It runs through the Sheryan portal, which is Dubai Health Authority's official application system. Most professions face 100 to 150 multiple-choice questions and the exam takes two to three hours depending on your field. You need a score of about 60% to pass. Nurses and pharmacists generally need two years of clinical experience. Doctors, both general practitioners and specialists, need three years. The DHA exam runs four times a year and you get three attempts. Best for: professionals who want to work specifically in Dubai's private hospital sector. DOH Exam, Formerly HAAD (Abu Dhabi) The DOH exam used to be called HAAD, short for Health Authority Abu Dhabi. The name changed, but many people and even some job listings still use the old name. This exam runs through Pearson VUE, not Prometric, which is a key difference from the others. Some tracks use a computer-adaptive test, meaning the questions get harder as you answer correctly. This format is why many candidates call DOH the toughest of the four. Most professionals need three years of clinical experience. You apply through the Malafi or TAMM portal. Best for: experienced nurses and specialists targeting Abu Dhabi's government hospitals, including SEHA facilities. MOH Exam (Northern Emirates) The MOH exam covers Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. It runs through Prometric, similar to DHA, with around 150 multiple-choice questions. What sets it apart is language: you can take the MOH exam in English or Arabic, while DHA and DOH only offer English. Processing tends to move faster here too, often two to four months from application to license. Many first-time applicants without a confirmed job offer start with MOH because of this speed. Best for: candidates who want the fastest path to a UAE license, or who prefer testing in Arabic. SMLE (Saudi Arabia) The SMLE, or Saudi Medical Licensing Exam, is run by SCFHS through the Mumaris Plus system. It is the largest exam on this list: 200 multiple-choice questions split into two 100-question sections, with a 30-minute break between them. Total testing time runs four and a half hours. Scoring works differently too. Instead of a simple pass percentage, SCFHS uses a 200 to 800 scale and you need 560 to pass. Your score does more than unlock a license. It also feeds into your residency matching score, where it counts for 55 of 100 total points. No UAE exam ties your score to residency placement this way. Best for: doctors planning a long-term career in Saudi Arabia, especially those pursuing residency training. Get Expert Guidance Full Comparison: Format, Cost and Requirements Feature DHA DOH (HAAD) MOH SMLE Platform Prometric Pearson VUE Prometric Prometric (Mumaris Plus) Questions 100-150 MCQs Varies, often adaptive 150 MCQs 200 MCQs (2 sections) Duration 2-3 hours Varies by specialty 2-3 hours 4.5 hours Pass Score 60% Varies by specialty 60% 560 out of 800 Min. Experience 2 yrs (3 for doctors) 3 yrs typical 2 yrs typical Internship or equivalent Language English English English, Arabic English Renewal Annual Every 2 years Annual Every 2 years The pattern here is clear once you see it laid out. DOH demands the most experience and arguably the hardest question style. SMLE demands the most time and the highest stakes, since your score shapes your future specialty options. MOH stays the most accessible on paper and DHA sits in the middle on almost every metric. Which Exam Should You Take? Match your situation to the list below. Every point is independent of other points, so look for the one that works for you. Your aim is Dubai: For this you need to pass the DHA exam. Dubai private hospital jobs have the greatest employment opportunities and salaries. And this is good for all internationally trained staff. Targeting Abu Dhabi, especially government roles: Take the DOH exam. SEHA and other government facilities require it and it carries weight if you already have five or more years in a specialized unit like ICU or ER. No confirmed job offer yet, want the fastest UAE license: Take the MOH exam first. It processes fastest and opens doors to five emirates at once. Planning a Saudi Arabia career, especially residency: Take the SMLE. It is mandatory for any physician role there and a strong score directly improves your specialty options. For Allied health professionals: Ask each authority about the experience requirements for your profession. It is not consistent and it can differ according to the occupation. Financial constraints, or time limits: Know when each exam is renewed. This will reduce your long-term administrative burden. DHA and MOH are renewed on an annual basis. While DOH and SMLE are renewed every two years. Plan Your Licensing Can You Hold or Take More Than One? Yes. All four authorities require DataFlow primary source verification before you can sit for their exam, so completing that step once does not lock you into a single country or emirate. Holding one UAE license can also make it easier to apply for a second, since DHA and DOH offer bridging assessments for professionals who already hold the other. SMLE stands apart from all three UAE exams. Passing it gives you no shortcut into DHA, DOH, or MOH and passing any UAE exam gives you no shortcut into SMLE. If your career plans could shift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, expect to prepare for and pass each system separately.
