NABIDH, Riayati & Malaffi Integration Guide for UAE Clinics

Quick Summary

NUMR is the UAE’s unified medical record system.
Clinics must integrate with Malaffi (Abu Dhabi), NABIDH (Dubai), or Riayati (Northern Emirates).
Integration requires an EMR provider that meets HL7 standards and EMR security requirements.
Remedico connects dental clinics to Riayati and NABIDH today, with Malaffi coming next.

A few years ago, the UAE government provided an initiative called the National Unified Medical Record (NUMR) – a unified database that combines all digital data about every patient from every clinic in the country. This condition is mandatory for all healthcare services, and though there are still no real deadlines, the local emirate's governments gradually provide this initiative among their clinics. So, it's only a matter of time before you will need to connect your service data to NUMR.

Sounds like some Big (healthcare) Brother? Only at first glance.

The most mysterious and "terrifying" aspect of this initiative – is the lack of a coherent guide on how to connect your clinic to NUMR and which Health Information Exchange (there are three options in UAE) system is preferable for your clinic.

That's why we decided to prepare one: we collected brief reviews of the NUMR digital network and useful tips about each HIE system that will help you to navigate the rapid modernization of the UAE healthcare environment.

A few words about NUMR

What Is NUMR? (Simple Explanation for Clinics)

NUMR is the UAE’s national medical record system. It connects all clinics, hospitals, and healthcare providers into one shared database.

It stores patient data like:

allergies
treatment history
x-rays
diagnoses
prescriptions

NUMR is mandatory for all healthcare providers who want to receive or renew their license.

NUMR was created to systematize all important clinical data, optimize the UAE disease control, and boost scientific research in health-related industries. Briefly, this digital database will allow the sharing of patients' information about allergies, specific conditions, treatment courses, etc, between clinics in a few seconds.

Thus, authorities will minimize the chance of human mistakes in the treatment process and get an opportunity to guide the healthcare system development.

The connection to NUMR is mandatory for every clinic. Your clinic can not get the license in Dubai and Abu Dhabi without integration into the network. And in a few emirates, you will face severe penalties if you ignore the NUMR initiative.

How to Connect to NUMR

There are three so-called Health Information Exchange (HIE) systems in the UAE integrated into Unified Medical Records:

Their data is integrated into each other, which means that (for example) Malaffi users' information may be received (with patients' permission) by clinics working with Riayati and NABIDH systems.

If you are the clinic owner, you cannot join the system directly — you will need a provider of clinic management software (so-called Electronic Medical Record system — EMR), such as Remedico, to handle data formatting, HL7 requirements, and secure integration with your regional HIE system. Each HIE has its own terms, deadlines, and security steps, which your EMR provider must prepare for.

How to Connect Your Clinic to NUMR (Step-by-Step)

Choose an EMR provider that supports HL7 and UAE compliance (like Remedico).
Digitalize all existing patient data.
Complete the security assessment (varies by Malaffi / NABIDH / Riayati).
Sign agreements with the chosen HIE provider.
Complete test exchanges of patient data.
Schedule full integration with DHA or MOH.

Looking for the fastest way to connect your clinic?

These guides explain the exact steps for NABIDH and Riayati compliance, including documents, requirements, and timelines.

Read our dedicated guides:

So, let's review each system.

Malaffi

Map Abu Dhabi

Region: Abu-Dhabi

Review: This system was provided by the collaboration of Abu-Dhabi health authorities and the private healthcare sector. Mallaffi launched in 2019, and, as the creators claim, this software connects all hospitals in the emirate and includes information about 99% of all patients in Abu-Dhabi.

Conditions: connection to Malaffi is required for all licensed healthcare providers (with a few exceptions among government institutions) in the emirate. The integration deadline for existing clinics has already passed.

If you want to receive an Abu-Dhabi Department of Healthcare License, you should know that connection to Malaffi is on the prerequisites list. To start the integration process, you should make a request two months before the planned DoH License application.

Your ERM system should match specific technical requirements, which should be tuned by your management software provider, such as HL7 formatting and SDWAN connection. As a clinic owner, you also should pass a Malaffi Security Assessment and sign a few agreements with the Malaffi team once your digital data gets well-tuned. Mallafi has a very complicated integration process, but it is quite possible.

NABIDH

Map Dubai

Location: Dubai

Review: The platform has been established by the Dubai Health Authority and for now, it includes about 8 million medical records from about 30,000 clinicians and hundreds of healthcare facilities.

Conditions: The NABIDH system is mandatory for renewing your license or receiving a new one in Dubai. To connect with NABIDH, you should first familiarize yourself with a list of criteria and make sure that your clinic matches them. These requirements are about software specification, data digitalization, and coding standards.

Then, you (or your ERM provider) will need to inform the NABIDH service about your readiness and sign the agreement with Dubai Health Authorities. The next step — is to test your EMR's connection with the NABIDH system, if it’s successful — NABIDH will schedule the integration dates (your software will be gradually implemented into the system). After all technical processes are complete — your system will be integrated into the NUMR network.

Riayati

Map Northern Emirates

Region: Northern Emirates (Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm al Quwain)

Review: The "Youngest" system was integrated with Malafi and NABIDH in 2023. At the integration moment, Riayati includes about 2 billion medical records.

Conditions: Riayati is required for all clinics in the Northern Emirates. Considering it was the last among the E-Health ‘triumvirate’, Riayati adapted all actual coding and network standards, absorbing the most feasible features from existing platforms.

You just should make sure your EMR system matches the posted requirements and send your application to the Riayatti team.

Technical Difficulties and Their Solutions

System	Region	Mandatory For	Complexity	Notes
Malaffi	Abu Dhabi	All licensed clinics	High	Strict security steps, early deadlines
NABIDH	Dubai	License renewal + new clinics	Medium	Widely used, well-documented
Riayati	Northern Emirates	All clinics	Medium	Newest system, uses updated standards

All HIE system has similar requirements for integration, which can be divided into two groups:

Formatting and coding standards — includes a focus on HL7 format, connection specification, etc, — all this stuff will be handled by your ERM provider.
Administrative paperwork — you should pass the security assessment and sign the agreement with Malaffi/Riayati/NABIDH services. The amount of required paperwork depends on which HIE system you choose.

Once you decide to establish a new clinic — you have to receive a license, which, in turn, requires integration with one of HIE Systems.

How to choose an EMR system?

Once you decide to connect your clinic to NUMR you will find dozens of different providers. To find the most suitable for you, you should pay attention to software flexibility and usability:

Take a look at the interface. If it isn’t too complicated, not overloaded with tons of tabs, and has intuitive navigation – is probably a good choice.
Check the functionality. ERM systems should cover all your specific clinic needs, from administrative tasks to accounting management. It’s better to use cloud-based platforms
Ask for special features. It would be good if your software would include some technological tools that can advance your services by using AI or VR technology.