Muawiya was among the first to practice medicine in the private sector in Dubai. He was among the earliest healthcare professionals to come to the UAE in the early sixties, dedicated his life to serving the UAE community, and contributed to the progress of family medicine in Dubai.
The late Dr. Muawiya was born in 1935 in Palestine. He joined the Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, moved to Dubai, and joined the Kuwait Hospital. After a parallel move to the hospital branch in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, he returned to Dubai when the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum encouraged him to establish a clinic in Dubai, which became the first private clinic.
Two years after the opening of his clinic, Dr. Zainab Kazem, the first Emirati doctor and a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology joined him, supporting him and sharing a long human and professional journey with him.
He was a forerunner of the modern practice of family medicine in the UAE. His objective and legacy have been setting up best practices when healthcare services were in the early process of evolution. He also managed to develop his tools for examination. Dr. Al Shannar helped a new generation of doctors and medical professionals; to date, his relatives are running a string of medical clinics in the UAE.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions towards the progress of Family medicine in Dubai, the Late Dr. Muawiya Al Shannar is awarded the Hamdan Award for Honoring Individuals Working in the field of Medicine & Health for the 2021-2022 term.
