What health bodies and press reports in Saudi Arabia and the UAE say about booking the flu vaccine and who it is for, tabled with the date each page was read. The Saudi list dates from 2025; the UAE groups come from press reports of the 2026 launch. For Egyptians and other residents in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health says flu vaccine appointments are booked in its Sehhaty app (report of 30 September 2026). The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention lists its flu awareness campaign from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi publish their own pages. Pages read 31 October 2026.
This guide is for Egyptians and other residents in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It sets out each body’s own priority groups and booking route, dated. It adds no eligibility rule of our own: who can have the vaccine, and what they pay, is for the body that published the page and your health facility to say.
In short:
- Saudi Arabia: the Ministry points to the Sehhaty app for booking. The latest national priority list we found dates from 14 September 2025; we found none for 2026/27.
- UAE: reports of the campaign’s launch, dated 15 September 2026, list seven priority groups, including school students and people travelling for Hajj and Umrah. The Ministry’s own campaign page lists none.
- Fees: only some bodies state one, as the second table shows.
Last checked: 31 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Priority groups, booking routes and fees change, so confirm them on the official page before you rely on them.
What do Saudi Arabia and the UAE say about flu vaccine groups and booking?
Who each body names, as it words it (read 31 October 2026):
| Body | Groups or eligibility it names | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Ministry of Health | People with chronic diseases; people taking immunosuppressive medications; adults over 50; children aged 6 months to 5 years; pregnant women; people with severe obesity; healthcare workers | Ministry announcement of 14 September 2025. Its report of 30 September 2026 mentions target groups but names none. |
| UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention | Pregnant women; children aged six months and above; school students; elderly people; people with chronic illnesses; healthcare workers; people travelling for Hajj and Umrah (Gulf News adds: during Ramadan) | Gulf News and Khaleej Times reports of the launch, 15 September 2026. The Ministry’s campaign page lists no groups. |
| Dubai Health | The page describes the flu vaccine as recommended for people at higher risk of influenza complications; it gives no list | Vaccination services page, updated 26 March 2026 |
| Abu Dhabi Department of Health | All individuals over 18 are eligible | Pharmacies page, updated 28 October 2026 |
Where each body says to go, and the fee it states (read 31 October 2026):
| Body | Booking or place it names | Fee it states |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Ministry of Health | The Sehhaty app (report of 30 September 2026; announcement of 14 September 2025) | None on the pages we read |
| UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention | Not on the campaign page. Reports say the vaccine was distributed to health facilities across the UAE. | Khaleej Times (15 September 2026) quotes a Ministry director: free for citizens and residents in high-risk groups; for people outside the priority categories, a minimal charge that depends on the facility. |
| Dubai Health | Its vaccination services, which the page says are available across all its Ambulatory Health Centers. The page has a link to book an appointment, links to download the Dubai Health app and a 24/7 phone line, 800 60. It does not say which of them books the flu vaccine. | None on the page |
| Abu Dhabi Department of Health | Pharmacies in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain marked “Flu Vaccine” in the page’s tables | Free for Thiqa health insurance holders and for non-Thiqa holders at high risk of infection; no price given for anyone else |
The Saudi list dates from September 2025. The UAE list comes from news reports of the launch, not from the Ministry’s own page.
How do I book a flu vaccine in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry’s report of 30 September 2026 on the campaign’s launch in the Najran region calls it the national campaign, says it lasts four months and says appointments can be booked through Sehhaty (read 31 October 2026). It mentions target groups without naming them. Its announcement of 14 September 2025 says the vaccine can be booked through the app and named the groups in the table. We found no 2026/27 national list on the pages we read.
The Sehhaty page says the platform serves citizens, residents and their dependents, in Arabic and English, and lists vaccination appointments among its services (read 31 October 2026). We did not find booking steps for the flu service on it.
What are the 2026/27 flu vaccine dates and groups in the UAE?
The Ministry of Health and Prevention’s campaign page lists its awareness campaign on influenza and seasonal respiratory diseases from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 (updated 14 September 2026; read 31 October 2026). Those are the awareness campaign’s dates, not the dates the vaccine is on offer, and the page lists no groups, sites or fee. The Emirates News Agency report of 15 September 2026, carried by Emirates 24|7, says the campaign runs until March 2027 and also lists no groups or fees (read 31 October 2026).
The groups in the table come from Gulf News and Khaleej Times, both of 15 September 2026, reporting the launch. Khaleej Times says school students and people travelling for Hajj and Umrah have been added to the priority groups. Gulf News words the last group as travellers performing Hajj and Umrah during Ramadan. Its headline calls the vaccine necessary for school students and some travellers, but its text says vaccinating school students remains a recommendation. What Saudi Arabia requires of Hajj and Umrah travellers is for the Saudi authorities to say; we did not read their requirements.
Where do I get the flu vaccine in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
Dubai Health’s vaccination page (updated 26 March 2026) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health’s pharmacies page (updated 28 October 2026) each carry their own wording, as the tables show (read 31 October 2026). Neither names a 2026/27 season.
Other emirates have their own bodies, among them Emirates Health Services and the Sharjah Health Authority, which Gulf News lists as campaign partners. We did not read their pages, so check the page for your emirate.
In Egypt: what if I am going home, or moving between Egypt and the Gulf?
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has its own statements on the flu vaccine, separate from the Gulf lists above. The 2026/27 flu vaccine in Egypt sets out what the Ministry has said, and the winter planner covers the season at home.
If you move between countries, keep your own copy of your vaccination papers (our suggestion, not any body’s requirement). The cross-border patient’s paperwork covers what to carry when you travel for care, and what Dubai and Saudi Arabia teach us about connected records explains how their record systems work.
Where Medigize stands
Medigize is a navigation tool. It is not part of any health authority, and it does not book vaccinations. We are building a record that moves with the patient, shared only with their consent. If you would like to follow that work, you can register your interest.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a flu vaccine in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Health says appointments are booked through its Sehhaty app (report of 30 September 2026, read 31 October 2026).
Who are the priority groups for the flu vaccine in the UAE?
Reports of the launch, dated 15 September 2026, list pregnant women, children aged six months and above, school students, elderly people, people with chronic illnesses, healthcare workers and people travelling for Hajj and Umrah (Gulf News adds: during Ramadan). The Ministry’s own campaign page lists none.
Is the flu vaccine free in the UAE?
Khaleej Times quoted a Ministry director on 15 September 2026: free for citizens and residents in high-risk groups, and a minimal charge, set by the facility, for people outside the priority categories. The Abu Dhabi Department of Health’s pharmacies page (28 October 2026) names Thiqa holders and high-risk non-Thiqa holders as free, and Dubai Health’s page states no fee. Ask the facility what it charges before you go.
When does the UAE campaign run?
The Ministry lists the awareness campaign from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 (read 31 October 2026). That is not the same as the dates the vaccine is available.
Does Saudi Arabia have a 2026/27 priority list?
We found none on the pages we read on 31 October 2026. The latest is the Ministry’s announcement of 14 September 2025. Check the Ministry’s news page and the Sehhaty app.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- Saudi Ministry of Health: Najran Governor Launches Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Campaign (30 September 2026), read 31 October 2026
- Saudi Ministry of Health: Health Ministry Launches Seasonal Flu Vaccine Via Sehhaty App (14 September 2025), read 31 October 2026
- Saudi Ministry of Health: Sehhaty platform, read 31 October 2026
- UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention: awareness campaign on influenza and seasonal respiratory diseases (updated 14 September 2026), read 31 October 2026
- Emirates News Agency (WAM) via Emirates 24|7: Ministry launches the awareness campaign (15 September 2026), read 31 October 2026
- Gulf News: UAE flu vaccine now necessary for school students and some travellers (15 September 2026), read 31 October 2026
- Khaleej Times: UAE adds students, Hajj, Umrah travellers to priority groups for flu vaccination (15 September 2026), read 31 October 2026
- Dubai Health: vaccination services (updated 26 March 2026), read 31 October 2026
- Abu Dhabi Department of Health: pharmacies page (updated 28 October 2026), read 31 October 2026
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