Free Mental Health Helplines In UAE: Who To Call Right Now For Anxiety, Panic

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) From 24/7 helplines to trauma-informed counselling and online support groups, here's where to reach out when it all feels like too much

• PUBLISHED: Tue 3 Mar 2026, 8:51 PM

• By:
• Somya Mehta

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As news of regional conflict and global tension dominates our feeds, many residents in the UAE are carrying what feels like 'silent heaviness', the kind that sits in your throat before you utter a word, follows you into meetings and turns even a normal day into something you have to push through.

If you find yourself checking headlines every 10 minutes or feeling a tightening in your chest with every notification, you are not alone.

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Clinics and health authorities across the UAE have activated many dedicated, free and confidential services to help residents navigate moments like these. So, here's where you can seek support:

1. 800-SAKINA

Activated by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH), SAKINA (meaning 'tranquility' in Arabic) is a primary resource offering immediate psychological first aid.

While based in Abu Dhabi, it serves as a critical pillar of mental health support across the Emirates.

• Phone: 800-725462 (800-SAKINA)*

• Availability: 24/7

• Languages: Arabic and English

• Best for: Immediate panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, acute stress, or when the news simply feels "too much".

You'll speak with trained professionals who offer a confidential, non-judgmental space. They are equipped to help stabilise acute emotional distress and can guide you towards longer-term care if needed.

2. Medico Arabia

If what you're feeling isn't just worry but something more daunting, like shock in the body, grief that keeps resurfacing or sudden panic, Medico Arabia is also offering free 24/7 trauma-informed mental health support in Dubai.

It can be a particularly good option if you find it easier to type out what you're feeling rather than say it out loud.

• Phone: +971 56 900 5443 or +971 50 159 0070

• Availability: 24/7

• Languages: Multilingual support, including for Arab and expat communities

• Best for: Trauma, grief, shock, survivor's guilt, conflict-related anxiety, and panic attacks.

If images, videos or headlines are triggering intense emotional reactions, Medico's team can help you understand those responses and guide you through coping tools in real time.

3. Sage Clinics

For those who don't necessarily need an emergency line, but do need a guided space to process what's happening, Sage Clinics has launched a series of free psychological support groups delivered online across the UAE.

Their next session is designed specifically for high school students.

• When: 2pm, March 4

• Format: Online sessions for accessibility across the UAE

• Best for: Managing anxiety, emotional regulation and coping tools.

“These dedicated groups focus on managing anxiety, supporting children through uncertainty, maintaining emotional regulation, and strengthening practical coping strategies during periods of heightened stress,” said Dr Gurveen Ranger, clinical psychologist and director of operations, Sage Clinics.

She added that the initiative is meant to be“timely, preventative psychological support at a population level”, offering structured spaces to process concerns and learn regulation skills“during a period when routines and sense of predictability may feel disrupted.”

4) Human Relations Institute & Clinics (HRIC)

If you're someone who doesn't need a helpline, but simply a calming space to breathe, regulate and gather your thoughts, HRIC Dubai is offering a free 30-minute regulation sessions to help people calm their nervous system, manage acute stress and feel more grounded.

• Phone: +971 04 365 8498

• WhatsApp: +971 50 778 2785

• Format: Free 30-minute regulation sessions

• Best for: Acute stress, nervous system regulation, feeling overwhelmed, needing a quiet space to process emotions.

Please note: This is not a helpline service.

Alternative healing options

What may also help some people is a different kind of support, such as breathwork, grounding practices, guided meditation or mindfulness tools that can help you feel calmer when your mind refuses to switch off.

These sessions are not a replacement for clinical care or therapy, but they can be a helpful starting point if you're feeling overwhelmed and want a gentle space to regulate.

Keyani Wellness, a Dubai-based holistic wellness platform, is also opening up a series of free online support sessions in light of recent events, in collaboration with its practitioners.

The schedule includes calming options such as community meditation, grounding practices and creative sessions like art therapy, all designed to help participants rebuild a sense of safety. To receive your free link, contact +971 58 5870799.

So, when should you reach out?

Consider reaching out if you find yourself constantly scanning for updates and unable to switch off, struggling to complete simple tasks, experiencing physical symptoms like: chest tightness, insomnia, headaches, nausea or feeling an overall disconnect from everything that's happening around you.

Needing support during times like these doesn't mean you're "not coping". It means you're human and your nervous system is responding to uncertainty the way it was built to. So, please seek out the support you need, in the way that feels safest and most doable for you.

*Please note: If you or someone you know is in physical danger, please call 999 (Police Emergency)/998 (Medical Emergency) for immediate assistance, including suicide-related crises.

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