UAE Eyes Mandatory Health Screening Tied to Insurance as Diabetes Costs Dh9 Billion a Year

About one in five adults in the country has diabetes, according to figures the ministry released to coincide with World Diabetes Day on November 14. If current trends continue, the number of adults with the disease could rise from 1.3 million to 1.9 million by 2050, an increase of about 46 per cent.

The ministry said the rise is not inevitable. It estimated that stronger prevention over the next 15 years could save about 32,000 lives, add 221,000 years of healthy life and avoid around Dh20 billion in economic losses. Those gains would come from more physical activity, better care for people living with diabetes and policies that make healthier choices easier.

For now, the ministry is working to strengthen and standardise preventive screening programmes nationwide, building on Abu Dhabi's IFHAS programme and the Etmenan screening programme run by Emirates Health Services. It is also expanding access to regular health assessments.

The work falls under an updated National Diabetes and Obesity Control Plan for 2026 to 2030. The plan aims to move the country's healthcare approach away from treating disease after diagnosis and towards preventing it and spotting risk factors earlier. It prioritises early detection, preventive care and continuity of care, and explores advanced technologies to predict the risk of metabolic disorders. Such tools could help providers identify people at higher risk of diabetes and intervene sooner, potentially reducing complications.

The ministry urged regular screening, particularly for people at increased risk, and called for greater public awareness of the risk factors and lifestyle changes that can prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes.

It is also developing initiatives for women with a history of gestational diabetes, healthy lifestyle clinics and the early detection of metabolic disorders linked to diabetes and obesity. Further measures will aim to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes, particularly among children, and expand screening for those at higher risk.