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Free mental health helplines in UAE: Who to call right now for anxiety, panic
From 24/7 lifelines 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 UPDATED: Mon 9 Mar 2026, 5:36 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid Israeli, US strikes on Iran for the latest regional developments.]
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.
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If you find yourself checking headlines every 10 minutes or feeling a tightening in your chest with every notification, you are not alone.
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. Valeo Health
As uncertainty weighs heavy on many residents right now, at-home healthtech platform Valeo Health has partnered with Nafsi to offer complimentary online therapy sessions for people who may need professional support.
Through the initiative, users can access a free 60-minute session from home with licensed psychologists and psychiatrists, designed to help people feel more grounded, regulate anxiety, and regain a sense of balance during emotionally demanding days.
“Our mission at Valeo Health is to ensure that health care, including mental health, remains convenient, seamless, and accessible through trusted professionals, especially when it matters most,” said Nadine Karadag, co-founder of Valeo Health.
Support offered: Free online therapy session
Access: Via Valeo Health app (online, from home)
Best for: When you need professional guidance but prefer a private, at-home setting.
Valeo Health also said it is extending support to workplaces through complimentary corporate mental health webinars, aimed at helping leaders support teams and rebuild emotional stability at work.
4. American Hospital Dubai
In moments like these, when the headlines feel heavier than usual, American Hospital Dubai has also opened a free mental health hotline, stating that it's part of the hospital’s wider commitment to safeguarding the wellbeing of the community during challenging times.
Phone: +971 4 377 4686
Support offered: Free mental health hotline
Best for: Emotional distress, anxiety, overwhelm and when you need to speak to someone promptly
5. 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.”
6. 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.
7. Aster DM Healthcare
Aster DM Healthcare is also offering free online mental wellbeing video consultations for three days (March 3-5) through the myAster app.
If you or a loved one would benefit from speaking to a licensed psychologist, you can book a confidential video session from the comfort of your home. The service is accessible across the UAE.
Alternative healing options
1. Keyani Wellness
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.
2. Dr Espen Wold-Jensen
Najahi Events has also announced a free wellbeing livestream series with Dr Espen Wold-Jensen, a renowned breathwork coach and ex-Australian Ninja Warrior finalist.
In light of the current circumstances, the team will be hosting free live meditation, breathwork and motivational sessions on Najahi Events’ Instagram. The first session is on March 10, at 11am.
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.
