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Is Ozempic covered by insurance in the UAE?

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 12 Oct 20268 sourcesWritten from published sources
The short answer

Sometimes for type 2 diabetes, rarely for weight loss. Dubai's basic Essential Benefits Plan excludes weight-loss medicines, and Daman's April 2026 guideline covers Ozempic (semaglutide) only for type 2 diabetes with heart risks and an HbA1c of 6.5% or more. Enhanced plans differ, so get your insurer's answer in writing.

Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only in the UAE, and Abu Dhabi's Department of Health tells the public not to buy them without a prescription, online or through adverts.1,2
  • Prices here are official prices to the public, from Abu Dhabi's drug list. We don't name, link or rank sellers, and nothing here is for sale.

What does Dubai's basic plan cover?

Dubai's Essential Benefits Plan, the basic plan regulated by the Dubai Health Authority, lists weight-control treatment and "pharmacological weight reduction regimens" among its exclusions.3

Medicines on the plan follow the DHA formulary, up to a total of AED 2,500, including a 30% co-insurance you pay on each prescription.3 An Ozempic 1 mg pen costs AED 1,146,4 so that limit is about the price of 2 pens. Enhanced plans can cover more, but we found no published rule that they must, so ask your insurer for a written answer before you start.

When does Daman pay for Ozempic?

Daman covers GLP‑1 medicines for type 2 diabetes only when every criterion is met, including heart disease or several heart risk factors and an HbA1c of 6.5% or more.5

Daman also requires at least 6 months on metformin or other diabetes medicines without good enough control, and no reason the medicine would be unsafe.5 The first request is limited to 1 month's supply and needs prior approval. The prescriber must work in internal medicine, endocrinology, family medicine or cardiology.5 After 12 months, cover continues only if HbA1c has fallen by at least 1 percentage point or a related condition has improved.5

What about Ozempic for weight loss?

Ozempic is a type 2 diabetes medicine, and Daman's guideline lists it for type 2 diabetes only.5,6

Daman covers obesity medicines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro only for members enrolled in Abu Dhabi's Thiqa obesity programme, which is for eligible UAE nationals.5,7 Gulf News reported in February 2026 that GLP‑1s remain "largely out-of-pocket expenses", with cover "typically restricted to diabetes or specific metabolic conditions".8 We found no published cover rules for the Northern Emirates. Thiqa's rules are in Does Thiqa cover weight-loss injections?, and the wider picture is in Guide 6.

Read the full picture

Related questions

Ozempic price in the UAE Does Thiqa cover weight-loss injections? How much is Mounjaro in the UAE? Who can prescribe Mounjaro in Abu Dhabi?
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Sources

  1. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Circular 10/2025, 4 Feb 2025: alert against counterfeit Ozempic and Mounjaro sold through social media and a website; the medicines are prescription-only under UAE law; the public should buy them only with a prescription, from pharmacies, and not online or through adverts. Summarised, not reproduced. doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  2. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Circular 48/2026, 16 Mar 2026: alert against counterfeit weight-loss products; GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide are prescription-only medicines; the products in the alert are not registered with the Emirates Drug Establishment but are sold online and on social media; report adverse reactions to the DoH Pharmacovigilance program ([email protected]). Summarised, not reproduced. doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  3. Cigna. Essential Benefits Plan (EBP), Dubai, table of benefits (DHA-regulated basic plan): drugs "As per DHA formulary", "Maximum benefit AED 2,500 (including co-insurance)", "30% co-insurance payable per prescription"; exclusion 8, "Surgical and non-surgical treatment for obesity (including morbid obesity), and any other weight control programs, services, or supplies"; exclusion 9 includes "pharmacological weight reduction regimens". cigna-me.com (PDF)
  4. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Shafafiya drug price list (Drugs.xlsx), released 26 Sep 2026, effective 2 Oct 2026: official “Package Price to Public” for each pack named here, each listed as a prescription-only medicine (“POM”). Downloaded and checked 12 Oct 2026. shafafiyaportal.doh.gov.ae (XLSX)
  5. Daman (National Health Insurance Company). Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist adjudication guideline, V5, effective 15 Jan 2023, revised 19 Apr 2026 (diabetes criteria including HbA1c ≥ 6.5% and 6 months of other treatment; first request limited to 1 month; eligible prescribers Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Family Medicine, Cardiologist; obesity medicines "not covered for members who are not enrolled in the Thiqa Obesity Program"; Table 1 lists the brands and dose steps). damaninsurance.ae (PDF)
  6. European Medicines Agency. Ozempic (semaglutide) product information (SmPC sections 4.1, 4.8 and 6.3: type 2 diabetes; nausea and diarrhoea very common; gallstones common; acute pancreatitis uncommon; 4-dose pens 6 weeks after first use, below 30 °C or in a fridge). EU label; UAE label text not checked. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
  7. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Thiqa reimbursement policy for obesity medications, DoH/Policy/TRP-OMM/HPS/V1/2025, published and effective 11 Jun 2025 (adults 18+; BMI rules in 3.2.2; prescribers in 3.2.3; more than 5% weight loss plus an activity target in 3.2.4; 1-month trial, up to 3 months' supply, check at 4 months in 3.3–3.4; cover continues even if BMI reaches 24.9 or below, 3.5.1.1). doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  8. Gulf News. Anti-obesity drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro: are they getting cheaper? (Ozempic lower-dose pens "around Dh740", higher doses over Dh1,100; Mounjaro "often above Dh1,700"; GLP-1s "largely out-of-pocket expenses, with limited insurance coverage typically restricted to diabetes or specific metabolic conditions"). 7 Feb 2026. gulfnews.com

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. Prices are official prices to the public from Abu Dhabi's drug list, never a discount, and we don't name, link or rank sellers. Figures marked as our arithmetic are worked out from those sources. It's general information, not medical advice, and religious questions are for a scholar you trust. Talk to a UAE-licensed doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write