INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS · SAUDI ARABIA · QATAR · KUWAIT · BAHRAIN · OMAN

Stem Cell and Longevity Treatment in Dubai for Patients from the Gulf

Dr Shiva Faramarzi, MD · Apogee Clinic, JBR, Dubai · Reviewed October 2026

The short answer. For patients from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, Dubai is a short flight with no visa needed. Our clinic is inside Address Beach Resort on JBR beach, so you can stay privately, with your family, in the same building as your treatment. For stem cell treatment we plan at least four nights, so we can keep you under observation. Before anything is booked, I review your records and tell you honestly whether treatment is worth it.

Why patients from the Gulf come to Dubai

Close to home: about an hour’s flight from Doha, Bahrain and Muscat, around one and a half to two hours from Kuwait, Dammam and Riyadh, and about three hours from Jeddah.
No visa: citizens of GCC countries do not need a visa to enter the UAE,¹ and can usually travel with their national ID card.²
Privacy: the clinic is inside a hotel rather than a hospital, so your visit stays discreet.
Family: relatives can stay with you in the same building throughout your treatment.

Experience with patients from the region

I have treated patients who travelled from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. One of them, a young man from the Gulf with multiple sclerosis, has agreed to his anonymised case being published in my article on MS. That article also explains why one patient’s result cannot prove what a treatment does for everyone.

What the evidence shows

The evidence for stem cell treatment differs from one condition to another. In some areas, randomised trials have shown measurable benefits: in a placebo-controlled trial in type 2 diabetes, HbA1c fell by 1.3 percentage points with umbilical cord MSCs and insulin needs dropped,³ and in advanced liver cirrhosis, MSC treatment improved liver function and long-term survival.⁴ For many other uses, including most autoimmune and longevity indications, the human evidence is earlier. None of these is yet a standard guideline treatment.

Treatment is given under my Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licence, with cells and exosomes prepared by two established, regulated laboratories. I explain the evidence for your own condition before you decide, and I would rather tell you before you travel from the Gulf that treatment is not worth the trip than after.

Planning your stay

For stem cell treatment, whether with your own cells or a donor’s, plan at least four nights in Dubai, so we can keep you under observation after treatment. A typical stay includes:

Assessment: a consultation and any blood tests or scans that are needed.
Treatment: on a separate day once the results are reviewed.
Observation and review: a check before you go home, and a clear plan for follow-up.

Because the flight is short, many patients combine regenerative treatment with facial, hair or body treatment, planned so that any swelling has settled before they travel home.

Planning a visit from the Gulf?

Send your records and travel dates. I will review them and tell you honestly what is worth doing. WhatsApp +971 52 328 6185.

Before you travel

Send your records first. Recent blood tests, diagnosis letters, scans and a list of your medications. I review them before you book flights, so you know whether treatment is reasonable for you.
Have a first conversation by WhatsApp. We agree what you want to achieve, what the evidence does and does not support, and which treatments make sense.
Decide your dates together with us. We plan your appointments around your flights, so assessment, treatment and review fit into your stay.
Tell your own doctor. I am happy to write to them before and after treatment.

Where we are

Apogee Clinic is inside Address Beach Resort, a five-star beachfront hotel on Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) in Dubai, with direct access to JBR beach and a spa on the 75th floor. Dubai Marina, Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai are a few minutes away.⁵

For patients who travel, this matters more than it sounds. You can stay in the same building as the clinic, so there is no commute between your hotel and your appointments, and you can rest in your room straight after treatment. The resort also has residences for longer stays, which suit patients combining several treatments.⁵

After you go home

You leave with a written summary of what was done, which products were used, and what to monitor.
With your permission, I send the same summary to your doctor at home.
Follow-up blood tests can usually be done near home and reviewed with me remotely.
Check your travel insurance before you go. Many policies exclude planned medical treatment abroad and its complications.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to come to Dubai from Saudi Arabia or Qatar?

No. GCC citizens do not need a visa to enter the UAE.¹

How long should I stay?

For stem cell treatment, at least four nights, so we can keep you under observation. Other treatments may need less time.

Can my family stay with me?

Yes. The clinic is inside Address Beach Resort, so your family can stay with you in the same building.⁵

Is my visit private?

Yes. Your records and treatment are confidential, and the clinic’s setting inside a hotel keeps your visit discreet.

Can you coordinate with my doctor at home?

Yes. With your permission, I write to your doctor before and after treatment, and follow-up blood tests can be reviewed with me remotely.

Start with your records.

Send your records and travel dates. We will plan the rest together. WhatsApp +971 52 328 6185.

About the author. Dr Shiva Faramarzi, MD, is an aesthetic, regenerative and longevity physician at Apogee Clinic, JBR, Dubai (DHA licence 43705219). She offers autologous and donor stem cell therapy and exosome IV treatment. This article is patient education and does not replace the advice of your own doctor.

References

1. UAE Government portal (u.ae). Visa-free entry. u.ae
2. Gulf News. Emiratis, GCC nationals can now enter UAE using their ID cards only. gulfnews.com
3. Zang L, et al. Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes: a single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II trial. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2022;13:180. doi:10.1186/s13287-022-02848-6
4. Shi M, et al. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in decompensated liver cirrhosis: a long-term follow-up analysis of the randomized controlled clinical trial. Hepatol Int. 2021;15(6):1431–1441. doi:10.1007/s12072-021-10199-2
5. Address Hotels + Resorts. Address Beach Resort, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai. addresshotels.com