Compare the cost of LASIK Eye Surgery in the UAE in one place: 13 prices published by the clinics themselves, what each clinic charges, which laser technique the price buys, whether it covers one eye or both, and what the package includes. Prices range from AED 2,997 to AED 10,000. Typical cost: AED 4,000. Last checked August 2026.
Showing 13 of 13 confirmed provider prices
Browse Treatments & Specialties
Explore medical and cosmetic treatments available across the UAE
Browse Treatments & Specialties
Explore medical and cosmetic treatments available across the UAE
Browse Treatments & Specialties
Explore medical and cosmetic treatments available across the UAE
LASIK reshapes the cornea with a laser to change how the eye focuses light, correcting short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism within defined ranges. A thin flap is created in the surface of the cornea, the tissue beneath is reshaped, and the flap is laid back down. It is an outpatient procedure taking minutes per eye, done under anaesthetic drops rather than a general anaesthetic. LASIK is one of several laser options: SMILE creates no flap and removes a small lenticule of tissue through a tiny incision, while PRK works on the surface of the cornea and has a longer recovery but suits thinner corneas. Which one is appropriate is determined by your corneal thickness, shape and prescription, not by preference or price.
Laser vision correction is one of the most heavily advertised medical procedures in the UAE, and advertised figures are typically "from" prices for the simplest technique at a low prescription. Whether the figure covers one eye or both is inconsistent here and frequently not stated at all, so never assume it and never simply double a single-eye price: where a UAE hospital publishes both bases, the two-eye package costs materially less than twice the single-eye figure. What moves the real number is the technique (femtosecond LASIK, SMILE and guided treatments sit at different levels), the strength and complexity of your prescription, and how much the clinic wraps into the package. Some clinics include the suitability assessment, the post-operative drops and a defined set of follow-up visits; others charge for each. Ask early what an enhancement would cost if your vision regresses later, because that is the item most often left out of the conversation. Where clinics on this page publish verified prices they appear above; otherwise treat advertising as a starting point and get a written quote after your assessment.
UAE clinics price these as tiers of one product, but they are different operations, and the names on the price list decide what the money buys. Standard or "blade" LASIK creates the corneal flap with a mechanical blade before the laser reshapes the tissue beneath; it is the oldest tier and sits at the bottom of most price lists, and "Ultra LASIK" is usually a marketing name for a blade or surface variant at this level rather than a distinct technology. Femtosecond or "bladeless" LASIK makes the same flap with a second laser instead of a blade, giving more predictable flap thickness. This is the mid tier and the technique most surgeons now treat as the default. SMILE removes a thin disc of tissue through a keyhole incision with no flap at all, which preserves more corneal nerves (helpful for dry-eye risk) and suits higher short-sight prescriptions, but it cannot treat long-sightedness and an enhancement later is more involved; it sits at the top of most price lists. PRK, sometimes listed as TransPRK, works on the surface of the cornea with no flap and no incision. Recovery takes longer and the first days are sorer, but it is the safe choice for thin corneas and is often the lowest-priced line on the menu precisely because it is the oldest, not because it is inferior for the right eye. Presbyond, where offered, is a blended-vision LASIK for reading-age eyes, priced above the standard tiers. The ordering trap to avoid: the lowest line on a clinic's list is sometimes PRK, which is not LASIK at all, so two clinics' "from" prices can name different operations. Suitability, not budget, should pick the technique. Corneal thickness and shape rule techniques in or out before price enters the conversation.
A written quote should state: whether it is per eye or for both; the technique; whether the pre-operative assessment is included or refunded against treatment; the post-operative drops; how many follow-up visits are covered and over what period; and the clinic’s policy on enhancement, whether a re-treatment within a defined period is included, and under what conditions. Ask what happens if the assessment finds you are not suitable, and whether the assessment fee is refundable in that case. A clinic whose answer to that is clear and written down is easier to deal with than one whose answer arrives after you have paid.
Budget for LASIK as a self-funded procedure, but do not assume you are automatically excluded, because coverage in the UAE turns on your emirate and your plan rather than on the procedure alone. Dubai's mandatory Essential Benefits Plan lists vision correction by surgery and laser among the services excluded except in a medical emergency, so a basic Dubai policy will not fund an elective procedure. Abu Dhabi takes a different position: the Department of Health publishes clinical thresholds — severe short-sight, high astigmatism, high long-sight, or a large difference in prescription between the two eyes — at which laser refractive surgery is treated as medically necessary rather than cosmetic. Daman covers it in full on several of its plans and excludes it on its Basic and Visitor plans. The distinction that catches people out is between being clinically eligible and being contractually covered: Daman's published guidance works through a patient who meets the clinical criteria and is still declined, because his plan carries a general exclusion. So the useful step is not to ask whether "insurance covers LASIK" in the abstract, but to read the vision-correction wording in your own table of benefits, and to obtain any pre-authorisation before treatment rather than claiming afterwards. Instalment plans offered by clinics are financing, with their own terms; read them as a credit agreement rather than as a reduction in the cost.
You will need a detailed assessment first, corneal thickness and topography, pupil size, refraction and a dry-eye check, and you will normally be asked to stop wearing contact lenses for a period beforehand, because lenses change the shape of the cornea and can distort the measurements. The procedure itself takes minutes per eye under anaesthetic drops; you are awake, and you will be asked to look at a fixation light. Vision is often blurry for the rest of the day and improves over the following days, with most people returning to routine activities quickly, though your clinic will give you restrictions on swimming, rubbing your eyes, dusty environments and eye make-up. Dry eyes and night-time glare or haloes are common in the early weeks and usually settle. Follow-up visits check healing, and the final result is judged over weeks rather than on day one.
Laser vision correction has a long track record, but it is surgery on a healthy eye and it carries risks: persistent dry eye, glare and haloes at night, under- or over-correction requiring enhancement, flap complications, infection, and rarely a serious loss of vision even with glasses. Not everyone is suitable. Thin or irregular corneas, keratoconus or a suspicion of it, an unstable prescription, uncontrolled dry eye, certain autoimmune conditions and pregnancy are common reasons a clinic will advise against it or recommend a different technique such as PRK or an implantable lens. A clinic that tells you that you are not a candidate is doing its job. That answer is worth more than a lower quote. It is also worth knowing that laser correction does not prevent presbyopia: most people still need reading glasses in their forties or fifties, whether or not they have had LASIK.
Judge the assessment, not the advertisement. A thorough suitability work-up, an ophthalmologist who explains why a particular technique fits your corneas, and a clear written policy on enhancement tell you more than any headline figure. Check the surgeon’s licence on the regulator’s register and ask how many procedures they perform and with which laser platform. Ask who sees you at follow-up, the operating surgeon or an optometrist, and what happens if a complication occurs out of hours. Be cautious of any clinic willing to commit to a firm price and a technique before examining your eyes. Facility licence status shown on this site is checked against the regulator’s available records. That is a licensing check, not an endorsement of clinical quality or outcomes.
It varies, and a large share of UAE clinics do not say. Both conventions are in use here at the same price level, and the same clinic sometimes quotes both ways on different pages of its own site, so the figure cannot be read off the number alone. Do not assume, and do not simply double a per-eye price: where a UAE hospital publishes both, the two-eye package is materially cheaper than twice the single-eye price rather than exactly double. Confirm in writing whether the quote covers one eye or both, which technique it buys, and what the assessment, drops and follow-ups add.
LASIK creates a thin flap in the cornea and reshapes the tissue beneath it; SMILE makes no flap, removing a thin disc of tissue through a small keyhole incision instead. SMILE preserves more of the corneal surface and its nerves, which can mean less dry eye, and it suits higher short-sight prescriptions, but it cannot treat long-sightedness, an enhancement later is more involved, and it is usually the most expensive tier on a UAE price list. Neither is universally better; your corneal measurements decide which is on the table.
Because it is the oldest technique, not because it is worse for the right patient. PRK works on the surface of the cornea with no flap and no incision, which makes it the safe option for thin or irregular corneas that rule LASIK out. The trade-off is comfort and speed, not the final result: the first days are sorer and clear vision takes longer to settle. Note that PRK is a different operation. If the lowest advertised "laser eye surgery" line at a clinic is PRK, you are not comparing LASIK prices.
That depends on which emirate you are insured in and which plan you hold, and the honest answer is not a flat no. Dubai's mandatory Essential Benefits Plan excludes vision correction by surgery and laser except in a medical emergency, so a basic Dubai policy will not pay for elective LASIK. Abu Dhabi is different: the Department of Health publishes clinical thresholds at which laser refractive surgery counts as medically necessary — broadly, severe short-sight, high astigmatism, high long-sight, or a large difference between the two eyes. Daman covers it outright on some plans and excludes it on its Basic and Visitor plans. The catch to understand is that meeting the clinical threshold does not override an exclusion written into your plan: Daman's own guidance works through a patient who meets the criteria and is still refused, because his plan excludes the procedure. Check your own table of benefits for the wording on vision correction, and get any pre-authorisation before treatment rather than after.
LASIK creates a corneal flap and reshapes the tissue beneath it. SMILE removes a small lenticule of tissue through a tiny incision with no flap. PRK works on the corneal surface, with a longer and more uncomfortable recovery but no flap, which suits thinner corneas. Your corneal thickness and shape decide which is appropriate.
Only from a full assessment: corneal thickness and topography, refraction stability, pupil size and a dry-eye check. Thin or irregular corneas, keratoconus or suspicion of it, an unstable prescription, significant dry eye and pregnancy are common reasons a clinic will advise against it or suggest another technique.
Probably, eventually. Laser correction reshapes the cornea to fix distance focus; it does not stop presbyopia, the age-related loss of near focus that affects most people from their forties. Ask your ophthalmologist how your age and prescription interact with that, because it changes what a good result looks like for you.
An enhancement is a second, smaller laser treatment where the result under- or over-corrects, or where vision regresses over time. Clinic policies differ: some include re-treatment within a defined period and criteria, others charge. Ask for the policy in writing before you book, not after.
Many people return to routine activity within a day or two after LASIK, though vision is typically blurry for the rest of the procedure day. PRK takes longer and is more uncomfortable in the first week. Your clinic will give restrictions on swimming, eye rubbing, dusty environments and make-up.
Because lenses temporarily change the shape of the cornea, and the assessment measures that shape to plan the treatment. Clinics ask for a lens-free period beforehand, longer for hard or rigid lenses than for soft ones, so the measurements reflect your true corneal shape.
Prices are collected from each provider’s own published pages. They are indicative and subject to change. Confirm the final price and what it covers with the provider. Facility licence status is checked against the regulator’s available records; that is not an endorsement of clinical quality or outcomes. This is general information, not medical advice.
Ophthalmology