Dr. Zulekha Daud

Dr. Zulekha Daud, affectionately known as “Mama Zulekha,” moved to the UAE in 1964 and is widely credited as the first female Indian doctor to practise in the country, caring for patients in the early years of the Trucial States when medical facilities were scarce. Trained at the Government Medical College in Nagpur, she devoted her career to healthcare for the growing community, including many home visits in those formative decades.

In 1992 she founded Zulekha Hospital in Sharjah, which grew into the Zulekha Healthcare Group, today running hospitals, medical centres and pharmacies in Sharjah and Dubai, as well as a hospital in Nagpur, India. The group reports treating hundreds of thousands of patients each year.

In 2019 she received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas citizens, in recognition of her decades of service. She is widely regarded as a trailblazer for women in medicine in the Gulf.

This profile is an independent editorial compilation drawn from the public record — official company and government sources, national honours, and established news coverage. Inclusion is an editorial selection by this journal; it is not an official state honour and is not a comment on anyone’s private affairs or tax matters. Corrections: admin@federaltaxauthority.org.

Part of Recognized contributors to the UAE — this journal’s directory of Emiratis and long-serving expatriates who helped shape the country.