Nobody leaves a 22-year career on a whim. Dr Assem Shayah took two years to make his decision. Here is what finally made him go.
Dr Shayah is a Consultant ENT Surgeon with a focus on laryngology and trans-oral laser surgery. He qualified in Syria, moved to the UK in 2000, and spent the next 22 years building a career that most doctors would consider the finish line. Along the way he completed a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in vestibular medicine, progressed through every grade in the system, and spent 17 of those years in the same department at York Hospital, the final six as a Consultant. This is what he found when he got here. Interview with Dr Arunodaya Mohan sheds light on the evolving practices in laryngology. His insights reflect years of experience and innovative techniques that are shaping the future of ENT surgery. The conversation also highlights the importance of mentorship and collaboration in advancing medical knowledge.
He Was Not Looking for a Change
Dr Shayah describes himself as having been “part of the furniture” at York Hospital. That is not an exaggeration.
By the time he left, he was running the department’s trans-oral laser surgery service, which he had inherited from a senior colleague with 20 years of experience and built into a programme handling complex airway cases and early laryngeal cancers. He was also leading the hospital’s balance lab, a specialist service for patients with vertigo and dizziness disorders, seeing 800 to 1,000 patients a year alongside a fellow consultant. And he was a core member of the head and neck multidisciplinary team, a group of 25 to 30 clinicians including oncologists, speech therapists, dieticians, maxillofacial surgeons, and radiologists, meeting every Thursday morning to manage complex cancer cases together.
He had his team. His patients. His reputation built over two decades. By any measure, he had made it. “The decision was very hard. I was at a very senior level. I was in charge of different groups and teams. You don’t want to leave that.”
For two years, he went back and forth. Allocation Assist first reached out to him in 2022. He completed his DHA licensing with our support during that time, but he kept hesitating. He asked questions. He talked to his wife. He talked to close friends who had already made the move and were calling him from Dubai telling him how different life was on the other side.
A family reason eventually made the decision for him. They needed to be in Dubai. The question shifted from “should we go?” to “when?” And when he finally committed, the whole family came at once. He was not going to split them up.
The First Few Weeks Were Not Easy
He is candid about this part, and it is probably the most useful thing for any doctor reading this.
“If my family was not with me in the beginning, I may have gone back after two or three weeks. I was overwhelmed. Too many changes at once.”
The biggest adjustment was not the heat or finding a school for his son. It was learning to practise medicine in a new system. In the UK, clinical decisions are made without thinking about insurance or cost. Here, that is part of the daily rhythm. Every procedure, every treatment plan sits alongside an insurance consideration. For a doctor trained entirely in a public healthcare system, it is a genuine shift in mindset.
“My mind was not set for this. Most UK doctors coming here are not trained for it. It was a shock.”
But he adapted. He had support from friends, including around ten close colleagues from the UK who had already made the move to Dubai and understood exactly what the transition felt like. He also found community through Allocation Assist’s network, including events that brought together doctors who had relocated across the Gulf. He found his footing. Fifteen months in, he says he genuinely enjoys it.
“Many people manage to adapt. Why not me?”
What He Found Clinically Surprised Him
Dr Shayah expected to find a good ENT department. He did not expect to find one that, in certain areas, was ahead of what he had left behind.
“There are parts of practice here that are more advanced. Especially biological treatments for conditions like chronic nasal polyps. When I left the UK, these were at a very early stage. Here, they are well established. That was a real surprise.”
Access to equipment is more flexible too. If you need a specific instrument for a procedure, you ask and it happens. There is no lengthy approval process, no waiting for budget cycles. The pace of clinical adoption is simply faster.
His clinical scope at CMC covers everything he built in the UK: trans-oral laser surgery for early laryngeal lesions, laryngology, vertigo and balance work, sleep apnea and snoring, rhinology, and general ENT. On the subject of sleep apnea, he is particularly well placed. It is one of the most in-demand specialties in Dubai, something he noticed quickly after arriving.
“Sleep apnea and rhinoplasty are probably the two most common things here. It is in high demand. And I do both.”
He attends the Middle East Otology conferences held annually in Dubai and stays connected with colleagues across the region and back in the UK. “The conference scene here is good. You meet people from across the region, from different parts of the world. It keeps you sharp.” Dubai medical tourism projects have been gaining traction in recent years, attracting patients seeking high-quality healthcare at competitive prices.
Nothing was left behind clinically. A lot was added.
His Family Surprised Him Too
His son was mid-GCSEs when the move happened. They enrolled him in a British curriculum school in Dubai. Same exams, familiar system, completely new world.
“He is enjoying it more than me, probably. He is surrounded by friends from different nationalities. When I ask him if he misses home, the answer is always the same. Maybe for holidays. Not for living.”
His wife is a software engineer with experience in enterprise technology. She is currently exploring the next step in her career in Dubai, a city whose tech sector has grown significantly and continues to attract professionals with Western training and international experience.
From a family and social perspective, he says it without hesitation. 100% better. He sees his family more. He has time outside of work. The quality of life is different in ways he did not fully anticipate before he arrived.
So Was It Worth It?
He still reflects on the decision regularly. But here is what he knows for certain. The family is happier. His son is thriving. His clinical work is stimulating and broad. He has not lost contact with his UK colleagues. He has a community here of people who made the same leap and understand exactly what the transition feels like. And the career he spent 24 years building did not disappear when he crossed the border. It came with him, and in some ways it grew.
“Many people manage to adapt. Why not me?”
That question, stubborn and practical and a little defiant, tells you everything about how he has approached this chapter. He did not arrive with blind optimism. He arrived with his eyes open, his family beside him, and a willingness to give it a real chance. Fifteen months later, he is still here. Still building. Still going.
How Allocation Assist Supports Doctors Relocating to the Gulf
Dr Shayah’s story reflects what we hear from many of the doctors we work with. The transition is real. The adjustment takes time. The rewards, clinical and personal, are equally real.
How Allocation Assist Supports Doctors Moving to the Gulf
As a healthcare jobs consultancy in Dubai, our team has been placing Western-trained doctors in Gulf region hospitals for over 11 years, with relationships at 95+ hospitals across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Key Areas of Support
- Hospital matching, based on your subspecialty, case mix, and family priorities.
- DHA, DOH, MOHAP, and SCFHS licensing, including multi-specialty credentialing.
- Contract review and negotiation, including salary, package, and insurance terms.
- Relocation and family logistics, including schooling, housing, and post-arrival support.
- Ongoing peer community, connecting you with doctors who have made the same move.
For hands-on help with your move, explore our DHA license consultancy. To talk through your own move, you can book a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr Assem Shayah?
Dr Assem Shayah is a Consultant ENT Surgeon with a focus on laryngology and trans-oral laser surgery. He qualified in Syria, moved to the UK in 2000, and spent 22 years in the NHS, including 17 years at York Hospital, the final six as a Consultant. He completed a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in vestibular medicine during that time. Dr Taj’s journey from Leicester to the UAE highlights the global opportunities available in the medical field. His move has allowed him to broaden his expertise and collaborate with diverse healthcare teams. Now, he is dedicated to bringing innovative practices back to his home country.
Where does he work in the UAE?
He works at Clemenceau Medical Center (CMC) in Dubai, where his clinical scope covers trans-oral laser surgery, laryngology, vertigo and balance work, sleep apnea, rhinology, and general ENT.
How long did it take him to decide to move?
He took two years. Allocation Assist first reached out to him in 2022. During that time he completed his DHA licensing, asked questions, spoke to friends who had made the move, and consulted his family. A family reason finally made the decision for him, and the whole family relocated together.
What was the hardest part of the move?
The hardest part was learning to practise medicine in a private, insurance-based system. In the UK, clinical decisions are made without considering cost or insurance. In Dubai, insurance considerations are part of the daily rhythm. He says most UK doctors are not trained for it, and the first few weeks were genuinely overwhelming.
What did he find clinically that surprised him?
He found that some areas of practice were more advanced than in the UK. He specifically mentions biological treatments for conditions like chronic nasal polyps, which were at a very early stage when he left the UK but are well established in Dubai. He also found access to equipment more flexible, with no long approval processes or budget cycles.
What is in demand in his specialty in Dubai?
Sleep apnea and rhinoplasty are the two most common areas of demand in ENT, and Dr Shayah practises both.
How has his family settled?
His son is in a British curriculum school in Dubai and prefers it to home. His wife, a software engineer, is exploring the next step in her career in Dubai’s growing tech sector. He describes life from a family and social perspective as 100% better.
What advice does he have for doctors thinking about a similar move?
Arrive with your family beside you, with your eyes open, and willing to give it a real chance. The first few weeks are hard, but most people adapt. He sums up his own approach with the question: “Many people manage to adapt. Why not me?”
