Though it is unethical, doctors working on a commission basis in smaller clinics is a common practice in the UAE, medical professionals said. Many doctors who are low-paid make deals with the clinic owners that they will pull in patients with their reputation and are offered up to 20 per cent commission by the clinics. The commissions are offered after a certain slab is reached by the doctor such as getting Dh50,000 business per month, Gulf News has learned. One clinic owner said that it is very expensive to run a medical establishment in the UAE and he has to resort to such means to break even. This practice is fairly common in the smaller emirates where the number of clinics has burgeoned over the past years and doctors are paid as low as Dh8,000 in some professional fields.