Abu Dhabi startup revives doctor house calls for the digital age

An Abu Dhabi-born startup founded by Emirati brothers Prof Ashraf Alzaabi and Omar Alzaabi is reviving the tradition of doctor house calls for the digital age. Launched under the name Housecall, the company combines home visits, virtual consultations and clinic-based services to expand access to primary care, aligning its roll-out with the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Family. The founders say the model is designed to ensure “patients have the right level of care at the right time,” blending personalised family medicine with modern technology.

"Primary care works best when it is easy for families to access. In many ways, what we are building is a modern version of what family medicine was always meant to be," Prof Ashraf, Co‑founder and CEO of Housecall, told Aletihad.

How the model operates

Housecall starts many interactions with telehealth and then moves to in-person assessments when clinically necessary, a workflow the founders say preserves clinical quality while offering convenience. "There are situations where a doctor needs to examine a patient in person. Our model allows us to start virtually and transition to home visits when needed," Prof Ashraf said, noting that Abu Dhabi’s regulatory framework requires face-to-face assessment in certain cases, particularly for chronic disease management.

• Services: Home visits, virtual consultations, and clinic-based care.
• Founders: Prof Ashraf Alzaabi (CEO) and Omar Alzaabi (CTO), both Emirati.
• Team: Includes Prof Ashraf’s daughter Fatima, who contributes policy expertise.
• Ecosystem support: Engagement with the Department of Health’s Health Tech Hub in collaboration with Hub71, and integration with Abu Dhabi’s digital health information exchanges.

Omar, Co‑founder and CTO, described Abu Dhabi’s regulatory and digital health environment as an enabler rather than a constraint. "In healthcare, trust matters," he told Aletihad. "Strong, well-designed regulation creates the foundation to build responsibly and scale with confidence." He said programmes such as the Department of Health's Health Tech Hub and Hub71 helped Housecall navigate regulatory pathways and connect with stakeholders early in its development.

The family nature of the business has shaped operational and cultural decisions. Prof Ashraf said his clinical background focuses the company on quality and trust, while Omar concentrates on building systems and controls so care can be "repeatable and scalable in the real world." The team also includes Fatima Alzaabi, whose policy experience informs how Housecall thinks about the interaction between health systems and communities. Omar acknowledged the dynamics of working with family: "Trust is built in, so decisions can move faster," he said, while also noting that disagreements can carry extra weight and that a shared mission has been crucial.

Outlook

While built and tested in the UAE, Housecall’s founders are explicit about regional ambitions. "The need we are addressing – accessible, high-quality primary care delivered through a hybrid model – is global," Prof Ashraf said. "While our roots are firmly in the UAE, our ambition is definitely broader." Positioned within Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 ecosystem, the startup says it has gained access to investors, mentors and a founder network that has helped refine its strategy as it prepares for broader expansion.