These days, going to the doctor often feels rushed. You come in, get a prescription, and leave—sometimes without really being listened to. For women, this can be even harder. Their health isn’t always straightforward. Things like hormones, fertility, menopause, or feeling tired all the time aren’t just medical issues; they’re part of life. But often, women are told to just deal with it.
That’s exactly what Dr. Leila Soudah wants to change. After more than 40 years in medicine, she knows how important it is for women to feel truly cared for. As an Obstetrician-gynecologist at her DLS Clinic in Dubai, she’s built a place where women get real attention and time. It’s not just about medicine; it’s about trust and understanding. The clinic feels calm and welcoming, not like a typical doctor’s office. And that’s what she believes healthcare should be, kind and personal.
Let’s explore how Dr. Soudah is transforming women’s healthcare with personalized, compassionate care!
A Lifelong Calling Shaped by Experience
Dr. Soudah’s passion for women’s health didn’t start in school but during her childhood in a war-torn place. Seeing her mother care for injured people left a strong impression on her and made her want to help others. When she was just 13, she read about Dr. Nawal El Saadawi, an Egyptian doctor who spent her life helping poor women and those in prison. Her story touched Dr. Soudah deeply and made her realize how much women need support, especially when life gets tough. From then on, she knew she wanted to become a gynecologist who would be there for women in their hardest moments.
Overcoming Barriers with Tenacity and Purpose
Dr. Soudah’s path to becoming a doctor was shaped as much by determination as by talent. She was one of the top 10 students in the Kingdom of Jordan, earning a scholarship to attend the country’s best school in Amman—an institution where even Princess Alia, daughter of King Hussein, had studied. Since her parents couldn’t afford the fees, the school welcomed her and her sister with scholarships, providing free meals and full support. From that moment, she knew she would have to work harder than anyone else to achieve her goals.
While at school, she began forming study groups to help students struggling in math and science, connecting with peers from across Amman’s high society. It was then that she realized she was “poor in wealth but rich in knowledge,” and discovered the joy and power of helping others. Even when invited to social events among the city’s elite, her mother’s loving care—making her beautiful suits and dresses—ensured she could attend with confidence and dignity.
Her drive and achievements led her to study medicine in Germany, where her brothers lived. To support herself, she took on challenging jobs—cleaning houses, babysitting, waiting tables, and caring for the elderly—while pursuing her education. Eventually, she earned a scholarship to complete her medical degree at Berlin University.
Her gynecology training spanned seven years between Berlin and Hannover, allowing her to gain a broad range of experience. Even with her impressive academic record, she often faced discrimination for not being German and sometimes worked without pay. Still, she never wavered. “I persisted because I wanted to help women,” she recalls, reflecting on those formative years that built both her skill and resilience.
Building a Clinic That Prioritizes Human Connection
After moving to Dubai, Dr. Soudah realized that hospitals—whether in Germany or anywhere else—didn’t let her practice medicine the way she wanted. She found it frustrating that after helping a patient through something big, like childbirth or cancer, she rarely got to see them again. Hospitals expect doctors to see 20 to 30 patients a day, which leaves little time for real connection.
Wanting to do things differently, she started DLS Clinic in 1998 in a small one-bedroom flat. Her goal was to focus on quality, not quantity, so she could follow up with patients and give them personal care. Over time, the clinic grew into a two-story villa with its own top-quality lab—the first private clinic in Dubai with this kind of diagnostic accuracy. Now, she sees just four to five patients a day, sometimes spending up to an hour with each, because “that’s how I believe healthcare should be.”
Integrative Care Inspired by Personal Healing
Dr. Soudah’s own battle with breast cancer 15 years ago changed how she thinks about medicine. It inspired her to look beyond conventional treatments and explore ways to help people heal fully—inside and out. She expanded her expertise into anti-aging medicine, nutrition, and regenerative therapies, creating a truly holistic approach.
At DLS Clinic, patients can now access a wide range of regenerative treatments that care for the body from the inside out. Advanced therapies include ozone therapy to cleanse the blood, oxygen therapy to support cellular healing, red light therapy to improve muscle recovery, metabolism, and skin health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women experiencing hormonal changes. These treatments aren’t just about addressing symptoms—they’re about restoring balance, energy, and overall well-being holistically.
The clinic itself doesn’t feel like a hospital—it feels like a home for women seeking a friend who listens without judgment, a soft hand to hold when needed, and a doctor whose vast knowledge is paired with a loving, compassionate heart. Feminine, colorful, and welcoming, the space bridges the gap between patient and doctor, creating an environment where women feel safe, seen, and truly understood.
As Dr. Soudah says, “Health is about more than just treating symptoms—it’s about finding the root cause.”
A Holistic Philosophy That Challenges the Status Quo
Dr. Soudah believes women’s health has been ignored for too long because the medical system was mainly built around men. Even though women go through things like periods, childbirth, and menopause, their pain is often dismissed or seen as just in their heads. She says, “Medicine has been too focused on men for too long,” and her goal is to change that.
Many doctors, mostly men though not all, don’t truly understand what women experience. When women come in with pain, their symptoms are often underestimated because these doctors have never personally gone through the hormonal changes women face every month. Women’s hormones fluctuate at least three times during a cycle—during their period, in the middle of the cycle, and just before the period begins. This ongoing cycle of changes is complex, deeply affects how women feel, and is rarely fully appreciated or addressed in typical medical settings.
At DLS Clinic, patients aren’t just given quick prescriptions and sent away. They are truly listened to and understood. Every visit looks closely at a woman’s history, lifestyle, and feelings. This way of caring has made the clinic a trusted place for women with ongoing problems like fibromyalgia, migraines, hormone issues, and chronic tiredness—conditions that are often missed or ignored elsewhere.
Advocacy for Women’s Rights and Voices
For Dr. Soudah, being a physician is about more than treating medical conditions—it’s about being an advocate for women who feel unheard. Many of her patients come to her after exhausting all other options, often in tears, feeling dismissed by other providers. Some are grappling with infertility; others suffer from debilitating conditions that have been minimized or ignored.
Fibromyalgia is another condition that highlights this lack of understanding and empathy. Just recently, Dr. Soudah went to a male doctor for a sports injury. When she mentioned her daughter’s fibromyalgia, the doctor’s reaction was dismissive—many doctors don’t believe fibromyalgia truly exists and some even think it’s “mostly in the patient’s head.” Such insensitivity is unfortunately common and reflects just a small sample of the challenges women face when trying to be heard and properly cared for.
Her response is to stand beside them, no matter how complex the case. She believes that women are the backbone of society, a truth that drives her daily work. “Without healthy women, there’s no next generation,” she notes, underscoring her commitment not just to individual patients but to the broader health of communities.
Guiding Women on Their Health Journeys
Part of Dr. Soudah’s mission is to empower women to take control of their own health. She encourages them to ask questions, seek second opinions, and partner actively with their healthcare providers. She often reminds her patients that good health is a shared responsibility. “The doctor does 50% of the job, but you must do the other 50%,” she says, highlighting the importance of lifestyle choices in the healing process.
Her advice to women is straightforward but profound: eat well, sleep early, exercise regularly, and manage stress by allowing yourself moments of rest. Ignoring the body’s signals, she warns, is a mistake too many women make.
Comprehensive Services Backed by Advanced Technology
At DLS Clinic, the services are wide-ranging and advanced. Their Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine team uses top-quality ultrasound machines to get clear images of the baby, along with safe prenatal tests to keep moms and babies healthy.
The Gynecology and Intimate Wellness part of the clinic looks after women’s reproductive health and also offers treatments like laser vaginal tightening and other procedures to help women feel confident and comfortable.
For those interested in staying healthy long-term, the clinic offers anti-aging and regenerative medicine programs. These include tests for metabolism, gut health, genetics, and personalized hormone treatments. They also have their own lab, so results come quickly and help tailor the care to each woman’s needs.
Stories of Trust and Transformation
Many patients at DLS Clinic say their experience has changed their lives. One woman who couldn’t get pregnant after years of IVF found success with Dr. Soudah’s natural and holistic treatments. Another woman, dealing with tiredness and wrong thyroid diagnoses, got better through personalized hormone care and lifestyle advice.
These aren’t just lucky cases—they show how the clinic focuses on the person, not just the usual medical routine.
A Legacy of Care for Future Generations
Dr. Soudah has created more than just a clinic; she has started a movement. She brings together medical expertise and caring attention that looks at the whole person, not just the symptoms. Because of her work, women’s healthcare in the Arab world is changing, and she is setting new examples for what personalized care can really be.
For women who want more than just a prescription and are looking for a true partner in their health journey, DLS Clinic is a place where healing and understanding happen every day.
