ABU DHABI // The fear of expensive medical bills is discouraging many expatriates from sponsoring their parents.
Even though companies frequently offer medical insurance for employees’ spouses and children, parents are not considered part of the immediate family and are not covered.
Dr Asjad Hameed, a medical consultant in Abu Dhabi, says insurers charge a lot of money for elderly expatriates because they expect a lot of medical complaints.
“Insurance companies waste no time in doubling the premium,” he says.
Raza Ahmed, a Pakistani banker who lives in Dubai, wants to bring his parents here, but cannot afford it. He moved from Karachi three years ago, leaving his elderly parents behind.
“In the first two years, things were somehow managed. But now my parents’ health is deteriorating and I don’t want them to live alone,” he says.
“I thought sponsoring parents wouldn’t be so much of a problem as I fall into the category that can sponsor parents.”
However, when he looked at the cost of medical insurance he realised the extent of his problem.
According to Mr Ahmed, the cheapest option that Daman offers is the Care Bronze Card for people over 65 years of age.
“The customer service person told me that each senior person’s medical insurance would cost Dh27,000, which means I have to pay Dh54,000 every year from my pocket, which isn’t an affordable option,” he says. Mr Ahmed checked almost all other medical insurance in the country but either they refused to provide insurance to expatriates above the age of 60 or started quoting exorbitant prices.
Mr Ahmed says insurers should deem parents immediate family.
“The UAE is a traditional, family-orientated country. We realise the importance of parents in our lives,” he said.
“We cannot leave them all alone especially when there is no one to care of them.”
However, Naqi Shahid, an Indian who lives in Abu Dhabi, said he found affordable insurance for his father. He brought his surviving parent to the UAE five years ago.
“In the first year, my company gave me the medical insurance for my father. But afterwards, it refused to continue as he does not qualify as immediate member,” he said.
Mr Shahid said he was surprised when Daman offered affordable insurance for his father.
“The premium plan is a basic card and does not cover him comprehensively. But at least it covers emergencies and other basic and regular medical care,” he said.
Another challenge for expatriates is home nursing care.
“Unfortunately, not many of the insurance companies cover home nursing in Dubai,” said Clodagh Withington, commercial manager at Emirates Home Nursing, a private health centre in Dubai that provides senior care at home.
“As a result, many of those who need our help are not able to afford to pay for it.”
akhaishgi@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
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Hobby: Reading history books
Loves: Sports
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The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
