Dubai Launches Sensory Ambulance Service For Patients With Special Needs How To Book

Families in Dubai can request a sensory ambulance through the DubaiNow app for planned hospital trips, with specially trained ambulance staff and onboard features designed to help patients with sensory needs feel calmer during the journey.

The service offers an option for people of determination, including autistic patients, who may need additional support when travelling between home and a healthcare facility, according to Khowla Al Awadhi, a paramedic with Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services.

Speaking at AccessAbilities Expo 2026, Al Awadhi explained that patients or their relatives can use the app's“Patient Transfer” service to request a vehicle suited to their needs.

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The sensory ambulance has lighting around its rear compartment, tactile features on the walls and toys that staff can use to help ease a patient's distress, she said.

“If the lighting does not help, there are toys that can help reduce the intensity of the situation,” Al Awadhi said.

She explained that the different features allow staff to respond to what helps the individual patient, rather than relying on one approach.

The support goes beyond the vehicle's equipment. Al Awadhi said members of Dubai Ambulance's team have undergone training in caring for people with sensory needs.

“We have staff at Dubai Ambulance who have taken courses on how to deal with people with sensory disabilities,” she said.

Their response depends on the patient's condition and the level of support required, including whether medical intervention is necessary or whether the ambulance's sensory features can help the person settle, she explained.

Al Awadhi added that a separate specialised ambulance is available for people with physical disabilities, with the vehicle selected according to the patient's needs.

Through DubaiNow, users select 'Patient Transfer', indicate that a specialised ambulance is required and choose the sensory ambulance option, Al Awadhi explained.

They can then enter a brief description of the patient's condition or diagnosis, such as autism, along with the requested date and time.

The booking also requires the pick-up and destination locations, whether the journey is from home to hospital or the other way around.

A member of the ambulance team subsequently contacts the family to confirm the arrangements, she said.

Dubai Ambulance's official patient-transfer service information states that transport is arranged in advance and that stable cases are subject to paramedics' assessment.

Al Awadhi stressed that booking a sensory ambulance for a planned transfer is different from requesting urgent medical help.

“In emergencies, we advise people to call 998,” she said.“The emergency ambulance will reach them and deal with it as an emergency.”

Responding crews assess the patient and take the necessary action, she explained. Families should not delay seeking emergency assistance while trying to arrange a particular vehicle.

The service was highlighted at the eighth edition of AccessAbilities Expo, running from October 19 to 21 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

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