Dubai introduces sensory ambulance for special‑needs patients

Sensory ambulance launched

Mon 19 Oct 2026, 6:27 PM – Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services has introduced a sensory ambulance designed to help patients with special needs feel calmer during planned hospital transfers.

The vehicle features lighting around the rear compartment, tactile surfaces on the walls and a selection of toys that staff can use to ease distress.

Features, staff training and booking process

Speaking at AccessAbilities Expo 2026, paramedic Khowla Al Awadhi explained that the lighting, tactile features and toys allow crews to respond to what helps each individual patient rather than relying on a single approach.

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

She said ambulance staff have undertaken training in caring for people with sensory disabilities.

“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.

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

To request a sensory ambulance, users open the DubaiNow app, select ‘Patient Transfer’, indicate that a specialised ambulance is required and choose the sensory ambulance option.

They then enter a brief description of the patient’s condition or diagnosis, such as autism, together with the requested date and time, and the pick‑up and destination locations, specifying whether the journey is from home to hospital or the reverse.

An ambulance team member subsequently contacts the family to confirm the arrangements.

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

Emergency use and expo highlight

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 19 October to 21 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre.