Under the oversight of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), Abu Dhabi is strengthening its capacity to develop specialist medical talent, with 12 additional residency programmes under SEHA, part of PureHealth, now accredited by the Royal College Canada International (RCCI).
The new accreditations bring the total number of RCCI-accredited residency programmes under SEHA to 15, up from three accredited in 2023 and 2024, extending internationally benchmarked postgraduate medical education across three major healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi. Together, the 15 accredited programmes currently support the specialist training of 193 resident physicians.
This development supports Abu Dhabi’s continued investment in developing the medical capabilities required to meet the emirate’s current and future healthcare needs. By strengthening postgraduate medical education and establishing structured, internationally benchmarked pathways for specialist training, Abu Dhabi is building greater local clinical capability and supporting the long-term sustainability of its healthcare workforce.
The accredited programmes span specialties central to the delivery of comprehensive healthcare, including emergency medicine, internal medicine, paediatrics, anaesthesia, psychiatry, radiology, dermatology and adult neurology. They are delivered across SEHA Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, SEHA Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed Medical City and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City.
The expansion builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed between DoH and RCCI in 2022 to enable physicians training in Abu Dhabi to benefit from internationally accredited training programmes and facilitate the exchange of expertise and best practices in postgraduate medical education. The first three programmes received accreditation in 2023 and 2024, with the first cohorts progressing through training programmes lasting between four and five years. The first graduates are expected by the end of 2028, depending on programme duration.
Importantly, the benefits of the accreditation extend beyond international recognition. The process has strengthened programme structures and resident assessment mechanisms, supporting a more standardised, objective and reliable approach to monitoring physicians’ progression through specialist training.
For patients and the wider community, this investment is intended to translate over time into stronger specialist capabilities across the healthcare system, supporting safe, high-quality and evidence-based care in areas ranging from emergency and acute care to chronic disease management, paediatrics, perioperative care and mental and neurological health.
Her Excellency Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH, said: “The strength of any healthcare system ultimately depends on the people behind it. As Abu Dhabi continues to advance healthcare, we must ensure that our medical workforce has the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to advance with it. Expanding internationally benchmarked specialist training enables us to develop the expertise our healthcare system will need for the future, while creating an environment in which physicians can continue to learn, develop and deliver care according to the highest standards. Through partnerships with leading international institutions, we are investing not only in medical education, but in the long-term quality, resilience and sustainability of healthcare for our community.”
Saeed Jaber Al Kuwaiti, Group Chief Executive Officer of SEHA, said: “The accreditation of 12 additional residency programmes under SEHA’s education arm reflects our long-term commitment to developing medical talent through high-quality training environments that advance academic excellence and clinical care together. With 15 accredited programmes now supporting 193 resident physicians, we are expanding the specialist capabilities that Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system will require in the years ahead and strengthening the emirate’s position as a destination for world-class postgraduate medical education.”
Craig Cibitelli, Chief Operating Officer at the Royal College Canada International (RCCI), said: “These programme accreditations demonstrate alignment with established postgraduate medical education standards across the learning environment, governance, faculty support and educational infrastructure required to sustain high-quality specialist training. They reflect the strength of Abu Dhabi’s training systems and their ability to support residency programmes founded on quality, competency and continuous improvement.”
RCCI accreditation confirms that the programmes meet postgraduate medical education requirements covering areas including integrated assessment systems, effective feedback mechanisms, high-quality academic supervision and comprehensive clinical training. For residents, this provides structured learning environments designed to support consistent specialist training against internationally recognised standards.
Through continued support for internationally accredited postgraduate medical training, DoH and PureHealth’s SEHA continue to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s postgraduate medical education ecosystem, develop specialist capabilities locally and support a healthcare workforce equipped to respond to evolving population and health-system needs. The initiative also contributes to Abu Dhabi’s broader ambition to advance academic medicine and clinical excellence while strengthening the sustainability of the UAE’s healthcare workforce.
Physicians interested in SEHA’s residency and fellowship programmes can obtain further information by contacting SEHA.
