Dementia care in the United Arab Emirates: an environmental scan of services, policy, workforce, and caregiving contexts

Abstract Background Dementia care in the United Arab Emirates remains poorly documented despite the country’s advanced healthcare infrastructure and rapidly ageing population. The absence of a national dementia strategy, combined with limited local research, leaves policymakers and practitioners without baseline evidence to guide service development. Cultural expectations position families as primary caregivers, yet how families navigate this responsibility has not been systematically documented. This study produced the first comprehensive environmental scan of dementia care in the UAE, mapping services, policies, workforce preparation, and caregiving contexts. Methods A two-component environmental scan was conducted. Grey literature sources were systematically identified and analysed, including government policies, health authority documents, service descriptions, and materials from non-governmental organisations; sixty-one sources published between 2014 and 2025 were included. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve healthcare professionals working in dementia care settings. Both components of the data were analysed using a qualitative descriptive approach, with patterns identified inductively and integrated across sources. Results Several patterns converged across both components: the absence of dementia-specific policy frameworks, fragmented and uncoordinated services, gaps in workforce training, and the centrality of families in caregiving amid limited formal support. National policies addressed older adult wellbeing without naming dementia, and services operated without clear care pathways. Interviews revealed delayed diagnoses attributed to the perception of cognitive decline as a normal part of ageing, reliance on pharmacological management, and the absence of community-based respite services. Families increasingly relied on domestic helpers and private homecare providers, taking supervisory roles rather than delivering care directly. Professionals were unfamiliar with person-centred care as a concept and lacked formal training in dementia-specific care approaches. Conclusions Dementia care in the UAE is characterised by strong health infrastructure but fragmented dementia-specific services, limited workforce preparation, and heavy reliance on families and private care service providers. The absence of a national dementia strategy represents a critical gap. These findings provide the first baseline evidence of the UAE dementia care landscape, offering a foundation for policy development, workforce training, and service design that is responsive to the demographic, cultural, and structural realities of this context.