A clinic ad in Egypt or Saudi Arabia must be approved before it runs, must not promise results, must not use superlatives such as "the best" or "the only", and must not show identifiable patients without their consent (in Saudi Arabia, not at all). Everything else follows from those four rules. This guide summarises what the regulations say as of September 2026. It is practical guidance, not legal advice; confirm your specific case with the regulator or a lawyer.
Egypt: approval comes first
- Doctors may not promote themselves without approval. The code of medical ethics bans a doctor from self-promotion "in any form", including online. A facility may advertise with the Health Minister's approval, and a doctor advertising himself needs the Medical Syndicate's approval (Law 51/1981, Art. 10).
- Health-service ads need a licence. Law 206/2017 requires a licence for any health-service advertisement, by any means, including electronic ones, with penalties that include fines of EGP 50,000–100,000.
- What a doctor may do: health education is encouraged. In the media, a doctor gives only his professional title and specialty, speaks in simple language and avoids unsettled science. Clinic openings and moves may be announced.
- What an ad may not do: claim untested methods or a treatment only you have; diagnose or advise without examining the patient; disparage colleagues; or mislead about results, prices, awards or discounts (Consumer Protection Law 181/2018). Prescription medicines may not be advertised to the public.
- Prices and language: prices shown must be the full price including taxes, and ads must be in Arabic (other languages may appear alongside).
- Patients: health data is sensitive under the Personal Data Protection Law (151/2020). Any patient photo or story needs explicit written consent. A child's needs the guardian's.
- Coming soon: the Medical Syndicate's draft rules for medical media and advertising, which ban self-promotion, "the best/the only" and unproven claims, go to its general assembly in October 2026. Plan for stricter enforcement.
Saudi Arabia: the MOH content rules are specific
- Practitioners may not advertise themselves except as the regulations allow, and may not use titles they haven't earned (Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions, Art. 10).
- Every health ad must include: a clear statement that it is an advertisement; the facility's name, contact details and working hours; Arabic text; the total fee with nothing hidden; the procedure's risks and possible complications; and a warning about skipping follow-up (MOH advertising content controls, Annex 10).
- Banned outright: patient information, data or images; patient testimonials; children in ads; superlatives such as "the only", "the expert" or "the most"; and claims like "guaranteed", "instant", "complete cure", "clinically proven" without evidence, or "treats what others failed".
- Offers and discounts need approval from the regional health licensing department, for a limited period, with the approval shown in the ad.
- Products: medical devices and non-prescription medicines need SFDA approval before any ad; prescription drugs may not be advertised to the public.
- Influencers: anyone paid to advertise on social media needs a Mawthooq licence, and the post must be labelled as an ad. In June 2026 the Ministry acted against practitioners promoting a facility from their personal accounts.
The platforms add their own rules
Meta won't approve an ad that implies the viewer has a condition ("Do you have diabetes?"). TikTok and Snapchat require proof of local approval for clinics and 18+ targeting for cosmetic procedures, and Google restricts prescription-drug terms and health-based audience targeting. Where a platform allows something the law bans, such as before-and-after photos in Saudi Arabia, the law wins.
A 12-point checklist before you publish
- The clinic and every doctor shown are licensed; no unearned titles.
- You hold the required approval (Egypt: Ministry or Syndicate plus the ad licence; Saudi Arabia: MOH for offers; EDA or SFDA for products).
- No "best", "only", "expert" or "most", and no comparisons with other clinics.
- No promises: nothing guaranteed, instant, permanent or 100 %.
- No diagnosis or treatment protocol in the ad, and nothing implying the viewer has a condition.
- No identifiable patients: in Egypt only with explicit written consent; in Saudi Arabia, not at all.
- Full prices including taxes; any discount is real, time-limited and approved where required.
- Saudi Arabia: the "advertisement" label, name, contact details, hours, risks and complications, and the follow-up warning.
- Arabic copy (other languages alongside).
- No prescription drugs; cosmetic and weight-loss ads target adults only; nothing aimed at children.
- Influencers are licensed and posts are labelled; doctors don't promote the clinic from personal accounts.
- WhatsApp, SMS and email campaigns go only to people who opted in, with your identity and an easy opt-out.
The short version
Get approval first, say what you do and not how good you are, show the full price, and keep patients out of the ad unless the law and their written consent allow it. MAJ builds clinic campaigns inside these rules from the first draft, so approval is part of the plan, not an obstacle at the end.
Questions
Can a clinic in Egypt post before-and-after photos?
Only with the patient's explicit written consent, and within the Syndicate's rules and the platform's policy. The upcoming Syndicate rules are likely to be stricter, so plan conservatively.
Can a Saudi clinic share patient testimonials?
No. The Ministry of Health's advertising controls ban patient testimonials and patient images in ads.
Do discount offers need approval in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Offers and discounts need approval from the regional health licensing department for a limited period, and the ad must show it.
Is this legal advice?
No. It summarises the published rules as of September 2026. Confirm your case with the regulator or a lawyer before you run an ad.