Dubai's main medical free zone will give licences nurses and other healthcare professionals straight out of university to boost the local talent pool. Graduate nurses and nutritionists, therapists, and dental hygienists who have graduated from UAE universities can now apply to practise at Dubai Healthcare City. New graduates can be accepted without the previous requirement of clinical experience, which was between one and two years, regulator Dubai Healthcare City Authority said. Previously, the exemption was only applicable to general physicians and dentist graduates. These new guidelines are aimed at expanding the talent pool of healthcare professionals in the free zone and driving the number of Emiratis in the health sector, state news agency Wam reported. The regulator said the exemption will encourage graduates from 24 local accredited institutions to immediately join the healthcare industry. "It will also help enhance the patient's experience, as domestic talent is familiar with the healthcare needs unique to this region, as well as our culture," said Dr Ramadan Al Blooshi, chief regulatory officer of Dubai Healthcare City Authority. The authorities have encouraged more Emiratis to enter nursing in recent years. Only 8 per cent of nursing staff at public hospitals in the country are from the UAE. Figures are not available for the private sector but are thought to be even lower.