Is my employer required to provide health insurance in the UAE, and what if they don't?

Your colleague is right: employers in the UAE are required to provide health insurance for their employees. In Dubai this has been mandatory under the emirate's health insurance law for years, and basic health cover for private-sector workers is now tied to the work permit process across the UAE — so 'being processed' for three months is not an acceptable answer. The cost sits with the employer; in Dubai an employer is not permitted to pass the premium on to the employee. Practically: put the request to HR in writing and keep the reply, because a paper trail changes the dynamic without confrontation. Keep every clinic receipt — if the employer's failure to insure you forced out-of-pocket spending on care that should have been covered, you have grounds to seek reimbursement. If the card still does not appear, the complaint routes are the health insurance regulator in your emirate — the Dubai Health Authority handles insurance complaints in Dubai — and MOHRE for the employment-law side. Complaints can be filed without it becoming a workplace battle; non-compliant employers face penalties, which tends to produce a card quickly. An employment lawyer can advise on recovering what you have already spent.