Social Work Regulation in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is currently developing a social work licensure process to serve as a quality assurance mechanism and enhance the quality of care for service beneficiaries. This article outlines the opportunities, challenges, and contextual issues associated with the UAE regulation such as differing licensing processes and structures in three of seven emirates that are progressing licensure. With a paucity of information about this process in the UAE, this article reviews a range of international literature to situate the status and development of UAE social work licensure regionally and internationally. The UAE is currently utilizing a social work regulatory process similar to the United States in which regulation is implemented at the Emirate level and licensure is the primary regulatory process. Benefits and risks of the current UAE regulation process are provided that include recommendations for culturally relevant supervisory frameworks and regulation processes.