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Why is the UAE cracking down on retatrutide and other weight-loss “peptides”?

What the Emirates Drug Establishment did in July 2026, why retatrutide is not an approved medicine, what the law says about selling and promoting these products, and the risks.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 12 Oct 20266 min read15 sourcesWritten from published sources

Written for the United Arab Emirates.

The short answer

Because they are not approved medicines. In July 2026 the Emirates Drug Establishment acted against 71 sources selling unapproved “peptide” weight-loss products, and referred 14 influencers to the National Media Office. It said retatrutide “remains under clinical investigation” and is not approved in the UAE. Its maker says it is not available for public use.

Key takeaways

  • The Emirates Drug Establishment said in July 2026 that retatrutide “remains under clinical investigation” and has not been approved for use in the UAE.1
  • In July 2026 the Emirates Drug Establishment acted against 71 sources selling unapproved “peptide” weight-loss products, including 14 registered businesses.1
  • Retatrutide’s maker, Lilly, says it “is not yet available for public use” and is given only to people in its clinical trials.2
  • Under the 2024 medicines law, medical products may not be advertised without approval, and fines reach AED 1 million.3
  • Abu Dhabi’s health department warns that GLP‑1 products bought online may be fake, contain hidden ingredients or have no effect at all.4
On this page
  1. What are the “peptides” being sold for weight loss?
  2. Is retatrutide approved in the UAE?
  3. What did the regulator do in July 2026?
  4. What does the law say about selling and promoting them?
  5. What are the risks of using them?
  6. Which GLP-1 medicines are approved in the UAE?
  7. Questions people ask
  8. How we researched this

What are the “peptides” being sold for weight loss?

Unapproved substances sold online as weight-loss products, often as vials. The Emirates Drug Establishment says calling a product a “peptide” does not make it an approved medicine.1

Before you go further
  • This post is a warning about unapproved products. It does not describe how to use them, and we don’t report their claimed results.
  • Approved GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only in the UAE and should be used under medical supervision.4
  • We don’t name sellers, websites or influencers.
  • Every risk of the approved medicines is in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.

The regulator explained that many of these compounds are still in research or clinical trials, or are meant only for scientific research, not for treating people.1 The US regulator has warned companies selling semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide falsely labelled “for research purposes” or “not for human consumption”.5 Those labels do not stop sellers adding dosing instructions.5

Is retatrutide approved in the UAE?

No. The Emirates Drug Establishment said in July 2026 that retatrutide remains under clinical investigation and has not been approved for marketing or medical use in the UAE.1

  • What it is. An experimental weekly injection from Lilly that acts on three hormone receptors (GIP, GLP‑1 and glucagon).2
  • Where it stands. Lilly says it is still in Phase 3 trials, the last stage of testing, and is available only to trial participants. Its safety is “still being evaluated”.2
  • Abroad. The US regulator says retatrutide is not part of any approved drug and has “not been found safe and effective for any condition”.5

So anything sold as retatrutide in the UAE is, at best, an unregistered product from an unknown source. Trial results reported in the news do not change that. A medicine becomes legal to sell only after a regulator approves it.

What did the regulator do in July 2026?

It took action against 71 sources that marketed, promoted or sold unapproved peptide products for weight loss, and referred 14 social media influencers to the National Media Office.1

  • Who: the 71 included 14 establishments registered with local authorities.1
  • Pharmacies: it began nationwide inspections of compounding pharmacies, which mix medicines on site.1
  • Supply chain: it found no unapproved peptide products in the licensed pharmaceutical warehouses it supervises.1
  • The pitch: it warned of slogans such as “A miracle cure for every illness” and “Limited stock available—buy now”.1

Abu Dhabi’s health department had already warned, in March 2026, that fake GLP‑1 products are not registered with the Emirates Drug Establishment but are sold online and on social media.4

What does the law say about selling and promoting them?

Selling medicines without a licence is a crime, and so is advertising them without approval. The 2024 medicines law sets fines of up to AED 1 million for unapproved adverts.3,6

  • Adverts. Under the 2024 medicines law, medical products may not be advertised by any means without approval from the Emirates Drug Establishment.3 The earlier law banned advertising prescription-only medicines to the public.7
  • Influencers. Promoting products on social media needs a UAE Media Council licence, even when the post is unpaid.7 In 2025 the Media Council took legal action over a misleading medical advert, with fines of AED 5,000 to AED 150,000 for false content.8
  • Selling. A Sharjah court fined two people Dh10,000 each in July 2026 for selling Mounjaro on social media without a licence.6
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What are the risks of using them?

Nobody can tell you what is in the vial. Abu Dhabi’s health department warns that products bought online may be fake, contain undisclosed harmful ingredients, fail quality standards or give no benefit.4

  • Wrong contents. The US regulator warns that illegally sold products may contain the wrong ingredients or varying amounts.5
  • Unknown safety. For retatrutide, even the maker says safety is still being studied in trials.2
  • No doctor. Nobody checks whether you have a condition that makes GLP‑1-type medicines unsafe, such as past pancreatitis or a family history of a rare thyroid cancer.9
  • Worse than the problem. Regulators warn that harm from such products can be worse than the problem people wanted to treat.1

If you have used one and feel unwell, say so to whoever treats you. Report the product and any side effect to the DoH Pharmacovigilance programme at [email protected].4

Get help now: call 998 (ambulance) or 999 (police) anywhere in the UAE.10 Call for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, fainting, or someone who is confused or hard to wake.

Which GLP-1 medicines are approved in the UAE?

Several, all on prescription. For weight, these include Mounjaro, the Wegovy injection and pill, and Foundayo; Ozempic and Rybelsus are registered for type 2 diabetes.9,11,12,13

The UAE often approves new medicines early. It was second after the US to approve Mounjaro in 2022, Foundayo in April 2026 and the Wegovy pill in June 2026.12,13,14 Approved medicines come with fixed national prices.15 None of them is “for everyone”: Guide 4 covers who should not take them, and Guide 6 lists the medicines.

Questions people ask

Is retatrutide legal in the UAE?

It is not an approved medicine. The Emirates Drug Establishment said in July 2026 that retatrutide remains under clinical investigation and is not approved for marketing or medical use.1

Is retatrutide approved anywhere?

Its maker says it is not yet available for public use, only in trials.2 The US regulator says it has not been found safe and effective for any condition.5

Are “research peptides” safe to inject?

Regulators warn they may be fake, contain hidden ingredients or vary in strength, and many are intended only for research.1,4,5

Can influencers promote weight-loss injections in the UAE?

Medical products need approval before any advert, and influencers need a Media Council licence. 14 influencers were referred to the National Media Office in July 2026.1,3,7

Where do I report a peptide seller or a side effect?

Abu Dhabi’s health department asks the public to report suspect products and side effects to its pharmacovigilance programme at [email protected].4

How we researched this

On 12 October 2026 we read the Gulf News report of the Emirates Drug Establishment’s July 2026 announcement, Abu Dhabi circular 48/2026, Lilly’s public page on retatrutide, the US regulator’s page on unapproved GLP‑1s, two law firm analyses of UAE medicine advertising, and news of the Sharjah court case.

We could not open the Emirates Drug Establishment’s own posts, so we rely on the news report of them. We deliberately left out retatrutide trial results and any dosing details: the product is not approved, and reporting its results could read as promotion. We name no sellers or influencers.

Before you move on

  • Retatrutide is not approved in the UAE; its maker says it is not available for public use.
  • “Peptide” is not a sign of an approved medicine.
  • Selling or promoting unapproved medicines carries fines in the UAE.
  • Report suspect products to [email protected].
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About GLP Guidebook

The monthly UAE update

An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don't sell medicines, take drug-company money or earn clinic commissions. Once a month: approvals, price changes, insurance rules and safety alerts in the UAE. How we write

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Sources

  1. Gulf News. UAE weight-loss drug crackdown: 71 sources, 14 influencers face action (Emirates Drug Establishment measures against 71 sources marketing unapproved "peptide" products, 14 of them registered establishments; 14 influencers referred to the National Media Office; inspections of compounding pharmacies; "Retatrutide remains under clinical investigation and has not been approved"). 25 July 2026. gulfnews.com
  2. Eli Lilly. What to know about retatrutide ("Retatrutide is not yet available for public use"; "an investigational molecule available only to participants in Lilly's clinical trials"). Drug-company source. lilly.com
  3. Pinsent Masons. UAE pharmaceutical law: 10 things businesses should know (Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2024; the Emirates Drug Establishment takes over approvals, licensing and advertising approvals from the Ministry of Health and Prevention; medical products may not be advertised by any means without approval; fines up to AED 1 million). 17 February 2025. pinsentmasons.com
  4. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Circular 48/2026, 16 March 2026, relaying an Australian alert on fake GLP-1 products ("GLP-1 receptor agonists ... are prescription-only medicines and should only be used under medical supervision"; the products "are not registered with The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) but can be purchased online and through social media platforms"; report to the DoH Pharmacovigilance programme, [email protected]). Summarised, not reproduced. PDF
  5. US Food and Drug Administration. FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss (warning letters over products "falsely labeled 'for research purposes' or 'not for human consumption'"; retatrutide "not ... found safe and effective for any condition"). Content current as of 1 October 2026. US regulator, not the UAE's. fda.gov
  6. Gulf News. Dh10,000 fine for selling Mounjaro injections without a licence in Sharjah (Sharjah Misdemeanours Court; selling medicines without a licence and practising pharmacy without authorisation; a third person fined Dh5,000; medicines and funds confiscated). 31 July 2026. gulfnews.com
  7. CMS. Expert guide to advertising of medicines and medical devices: United Arab Emirates ("Article 39 of the 2019 Law prohibits the advertisement of any prescription only drugs"; online adverts need prior approval and influencers a UAE Media Council licence, paid or unpaid; emirate-level regulators include the Dubai Health Authority, the Abu Dhabi health regulator and the Sharjah Health Authority). 8 May 2024. cms.law
  8. Storyboard18. UAE Media Council takes legal action over misleading medical ad on social media (fines for false content of AED 5,000 to AED 150,000). 12 September 2025. storyboard18.com
  9. Daman (National Health Insurance Company). Adjudication guideline: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist, ref. 2021-PH-09, version 5, effective 15 January 2023, revised 19 April 2026. Sections 2 (applies to "all health insurance plans administered by Daman"), 3.1.1 (type 2 diabetes initiation, duration and 12-month reassessment), 3.1.2 (obesity), 3.2 (eligible specialties), 3.3 (non-coverage), Table 1 (brands, uses, doses, 1 box a month) and section 4 (denial codes). PDF
  10. Department of Digital Ajman. Handling emergencies ("999 for Police", "998 for Ambulance", "997 for Fire Department (Civil Defence)"). Checked 12 October 2026. ajman.ae
  11. Dubai Health Authority. Ejada KPIs and Recommendations: Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, issued 3 September 2024 (semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) "registered for obesity pharmacotherapy in UAE"). PDF
  12. Khaleej Times. UAE approves Wegovy pill for weight loss, cardiovascular risk reduction (approved by the Emirates Drug Establishment as "a once-daily oral treatment for long-term weight management in adults with obesity or overweight linked to weight-related medical conditions"; the second country to approve it). 1 June 2026. khaleejtimes.com
  13. The National. UAE-approved daily weight loss pill to be made available next month (orforglipron, sold as Foundayo, authorised by the Emirates Drug Establishment; the UAE "only the second country in the world to approve" it, after FDA approval on 1 April; "taken once a day without food or water"). 4 April 2026, updated 9 April 2026. thenationalnews.com
  14. Gulf News. Mounjaro injection for type 2 diabetes, weight management now available ("UAE is the second country after the USA to have this medication approved"). 31 August 2022. gulfnews.com
  15. Mondaq (law firm analysis). Pricing of pharmaceutical products in the United Arab Emirates (prices fixed at registration by a Ministry committee, with "fixed margins for the distributors and pharmacies"). mondaq.com

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

How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write