Dubai has established the Dubai Longevity Authority under a new law aimed at turning the emirate into a global centre for regulated longevity medicine, wellness services and advanced healthcare investment.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued Law No. 17 of 2026 creating the authority, which will oversee a fast-growing sector at the intersection of life sciences, biotechnology, preventive medicine and personalised healthcare.
The new body will be led at the highest levels of Dubai’s administration. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, will serve as President of the authority under Decree No. 14 of 2026. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, has been appointed Chairman under Decree No. 15 of 2026.
The authority’s mandate is to build a science-led and risk-based regulatory framework for therapies, services and technologies linked to healthy ageing and longer healthspan. Its remit will cover research and development, clinical trials, manufacturing, delivery of treatments and patient-facing clinics, placing licensing and supervision across the full value chain under a dedicated regulator.
The move reflects Dubai’s attempt to create a sovereign market for advanced therapeutic products and preventive health services while giving investors clearer rules in a field where rapid scientific progress has often outpaced regulation. Longevity medicine has expanded from niche wellness clinics into a wider healthcare category involving genomics, diagnostics, regenerative medicine, digital monitoring, precision pharmacy and lifestyle-based interventions.
Sheikh Mohammed said the wealth of nations lies in their people and that investment in health, quality of life and human capability remains central to Dubai’s development model. He said the emirate aims to help shape the future of healthcare by using life sciences, biotechnology and medical innovation to develop solutions that improve quality of life and advance human health.
The authority will work with Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Health, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Future Foundation to align the sector with international standards. That coordination is expected to be critical because longevity services sit across multiple regulatory boundaries, including clinical safety, laboratory testing, pharmaceuticals, consumer wellness, data governance and investment promotion.
Dubai’s policy direction is tied to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Dubai Social Agenda 33, which seek to strengthen the emirate’s global competitiveness, improve quality of life and raise healthy life expectancy. The creation of the authority signals that healthcare innovation is being positioned not only as a public health priority but also as an economic sector capable of attracting specialist talent, technology transfer and foreign capital.
Helal Saeed Almarri said the longevity, wellness and advanced health sector is one of the fastest-growing economic frontiers globally, and that Dubai is seeking to capture its possibilities under the leadership’s vision. He said regulatory certainty across research, trials, manufacturing, delivery and patient care would help attract investment, industrial capability and specialist expertise.
The announcement builds on earlier healthcare and life sciences initiatives across Dubai. Dubai Healthcare City expanded its longevity and advanced pharmaceutical offering at World Health Expo Dubai 2026, including a personalised, science-led longevity programme and an AI-driven tele-compounding pharmacy platform designed to support customised medicines at scale. Those developments pointed to a broader shift from reactive treatment towards preventive, data-led and precision-based care.
The authority is also expected to shape how emerging therapies are tested and offered to patients. While longevity medicine has drawn rising global investment, it has also raised concerns over exaggerated claims, uneven clinical evidence and the need for strong patient protections. A dedicated framework could help distinguish regulated medical services from unproven wellness offerings, particularly as consumers show greater interest in diagnostics, supplements, biological-age testing and regenerative interventions.
Dubai’s advantage lies in its ability to combine healthcare regulation with investment promotion, free-zone infrastructure, medical tourism, digital government systems and international partnerships. The emirate already hosts a large private healthcare market, specialist hospitals, medical free zones and global exhibitions that connect policymakers, providers and technology companies.
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