Is Wegovy 7.2 mg available in the UAE?
Not as far as we found. Novo Nordisk said in March 2026 that it was in talks with UAE regulators about Wegovy (semaglutide) 7.2 mg, with no timeline given, and we found no UAE approval since. The highest Wegovy pen strength sold in the UAE is 2.4 mg, as of 12 October 2026.
- 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
- Nothing here promises any result. The risks are in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
What is Wegovy 7.2 mg?
It is a higher weekly dose of semaglutide that the EU label allows after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg, for adults who started with a BMI of 30 or more.3
If 7.2 mg brings no further weight benefit, the EU label says to go back to 2.4 mg.3 Gulf News reported in March 2026 that the European Commission had approved the dose, citing trials of nearly 2,000 people with average weight loss of about a fifth of body weight over roughly 18 months.4
What has Novo Nordisk said about the UAE?
In March 2026 the company told Gulf News: "In the UAE, we are actively engaged with local regulatory authorities and will provide updates on any future plans at the appropriate time."4
We searched UAE news and regulator announcements on 12 October 2026 and found no approval since. Abu Dhabi's official drug list, in force from 2 October 2026, has Wegovy pens from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg, at AED 743.50 to AED 1,712, and no 7.2 mg pen.5 The Emirates Drug Establishment did approve the Wegovy pill, a daily tablet, on 1 June 2026.6
What if 2.4 mg is not working for you?
Abu Dhabi's obesity standard says a GLP‑1 should continue beyond 6 months only if you've lost at least 5% of your starting weight.7
For people already taking a GLP‑1, it measures loss from the pre-treatment weight to 3 months after the highest dose they tolerate.7 We found no approved 7.2 mg product in the UAE, and Abu Dhabi's Department of Health warns that GLP‑1 products sold online or on social media may be fakes.2 Other medicines and how they compare are in Guide 6.
- Stomach effects are very common. In the 68-week Wegovy weight trials, 44 in 100 people on semaglutide 2.4 mg felt sick (nausea), against 16 in 100 on a dummy injection.3
- Gallstones are common (1 in 10 to 1 in 100) and a swollen pancreas (acute pancreatitis) is uncommon (1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000) on the EU Wegovy label.3
- Not for everyone. Abu Dhabi's Thiqa policy leaves out people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2, anyone who has had pancreatitis, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.8
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- 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)
- 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)
- European Medicines Agency. Wegovy (semaglutide) product information (SmPC sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.8 and 6.3: weight management at BMI ≥ 30, or ≥ 27 with a weight-related condition; 7.2 mg dose step after 2.4 mg; in the 68-week STEP 1–4 trials nausea in 43.9% vs 16.1% on placebo; gallstones common; acute pancreatitis uncommon; FlexTouch 6 weeks after first use, below 30°C or in a fridge). EU label; UAE label text not checked. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
- Gulf News. Higher maintenance dose of weight-loss drug Wegovy approved in EU. When will UAE get it? (Novo Nordisk: "In the UAE, we are actively engaged with local regulatory authorities and will provide updates on any future plans at the appropriate time"). 2 Mar 2026. gulfnews.com
- 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)
- Khaleej Times. UAE approves Wegovy pill for weight loss, cardiovascular risk reduction (approved by the Emirates Drug Establishment; second country after the US; long-term weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related conditions). 1 Jun 2026. khaleejtimes.com
- Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Standard for Non-Surgical Management of Obesity, DOH/ST/HPS/Non-Surgical-MO/V1/2025, February 2025 (GLP-1 starting criteria: BMI of at least 30 with one or more weight-related comorbidities, or BMI over 40; continue beyond 6 months only with at least 5% weight loss; "The obesity certified physician determines the initiation time of pharmacological treatment"; the physician "has training in obesity management and certification approved by DoH"; people of Asian origin may carry risk at BMI over 23). doh.gov.ae (PDF)
- 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)
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