Heartsaver vs Highfield
Two first aid qualifications come up again and again in UAE workplaces: the American Heart Association Heartsaver card and the UK-based Highfield Level 3 award. We teach both, so here is an honest comparison to go with the first aid course page.
The short answer
Both teach practical emergency first aid with CPR and AED. Choose the one your employer, client or contract names. If nobody specifies, the AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course is the widely recognised default in the UAE.
| AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED | Highfield Level 3 Emergency First Aid | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | American Heart Association | Highfield Qualifications (UK awarding organisation) |
| Format | Video-led practice with an instructor | Instructor-led regulated qualification |
| Common in | Healthcare-adjacent employers, schools, US-linked companies, general workplaces | Contracts and HSE systems based on UK practice |
| Validity | 2 years | Check the awarding body’s recommended renewal |
Both cover responding to an emergency, CPR and AED use, choking, bleeding, shock and minor injuries. The Highfield course we run covers emergency first aid and AED use with CPR for all ages; the Heartsaver course adds a broad set of medical and environmental emergencies.
On the Heartsaver course the instructor checks each skill as you practise it. A regulated qualification such as the Highfield award has assessment rules set by the awarding organisation, which may include a written or oral element. Either way, learners who take part fully in the practice pass without difficulty.
Auditors usually want the qualification name, the provider and the expiry date for each first aider. Both kinds of certificate provide this; keeping them in one register makes audits quick.
Some contractors on mixed projects hold both. The skills overlap, so the second course feels familiar.
Book Heartsaver dates on this page, or ask us about the next Highfield date. See also which first aid course you need.
Other life support and first aid courses: BLS Course · ACLS Course · PALS Course · Training calendar
Yes, many employers and contracts specify Highfield qualifications.
Neither is better in general; choose the one your employer or contract names.
Yes.
Yes, alongside the AHA Heartsaver courses.
The AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course.
Safety First Medical Services is an American Heart Association training centre on Al Reem Island. Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED, Pediatric First Aid and CPR AED courses for individuals, with on-site training for companies, schools and clinics across the UAE.
See first aid dates and register First aid course overview Company or school enquiry
What we teach follows the awarding body and the UAE health authorities. For the definitive position on a course or licensing question, these are the places to check.
Last reviewed by the training team at Safety First Medical Services, an American Heart Association training centre at Addax Office Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Call +971 55 761 9841 or email training@safetyfirstmed.ae.