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Home/United Arab Emirates/Compare/Saxenda vs Wegovy: how do the daily and weekly injections compare in the UAE?
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Saxenda vs Wegovy: how do the daily and weekly injections compare in the UAE?

The one head-to-head trial, side effects, daily or weekly routine, official prices and cover, and what a doctor weighs.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 14 Oct 20267 min read13 sourcesWritten from published sources
What we checked13 sources, each one opened and linked to the sentence it supportsLast checked 14 Oct 2026 · Next review due 14 Apr 2027 · How we write

Written for the United Arab Emirates. Other country versions are coming.

The short answer

Saxenda (liraglutide) is a daily injection and Wegovy (semaglutide) a weekly one; Novo Nordisk makes both. In STEP 8, the only head-to-head trial, adults lost 15.8% on Wegovy and 6.4% on Saxenda over 68 weeks. Stomach side effects were about as common on both, around 84 in 100.

Saxenda vs Wegovy at a glance

At a glanceSaxendaWegovy injection
Medicine and makerLiraglutide, by Novo Nordisk1Semaglutide, by Novo Nordisk2
Use in the UAEWeight (obesity management) in Daman’s cover rules; prescription-only on Abu Dhabi’s drug list3,4Weight (registered for obesity); Daman also lists it for a scarring fatty-liver disease (MASH). The 7.2 mg dose is not approved here5,3,6
How you take itOne injection under the skin every day1One injection under the skin once a week2
Dose steps0.6 mg a day, rising by 0.6 mg each week to 3.0 mg from week 510.25 mg a week, then 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg, 4 weeks each, then 2.4 mg from week 172
Head-to-head trial: weight, and the harm beside itSTEP 8, 68 weeks: −6.4%. Stomach side effects in 83 in 100; 28 in 100 stopped treatment2,7STEP 8, 68 weeks: −15.8%. Stomach side effects in 84 in 100; 14 in 100 stopped treatment2,7
Most common side effectsVery common (more than 1 in 10) on the EU label: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, headache1Very common (more than 1 in 10) on the EU label: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain, headache, tiredness2
Official price, a month and a yearAED 1,198.50 for 5 pens of 18 mg, which last 30 days at 3 mg a day. At 3 mg: about AED 1,212 a month, AED 14,542 a year4,1AED 743.50 (0.25 or 0.5 mg), 1,145.50 (1 mg), 1,440 (1.7 mg) or 1,712 (2.4 mg) for a pen of 4 weekly doses. At 2.4 mg: about AED 1,855 a month, AED 22,256 a year4
Cover in the UAEDubai’s basic plan excludes weight-loss medicines; Daman covers obesity medicines only inside the Thiqa obesity programme8,3The same rules8,3

A month is 364÷12 days and a year 364 days, as in our cost calculator; our arithmetic. Prices from Abu Dhabi’s official drug list, effective 2 Oct 2026. Not a ranking.

Key takeaways

  • In STEP 8, the only trial comparing them directly, adults lost 15.8% of their weight on Wegovy and 6.4% on Saxenda over 68 weeks.2,7
  • Stomach side effects were about as common on both in STEP 8, 84 in 100 on Wegovy and 83 in 100 on Saxenda, but more people stopped Saxenda.7
  • Saxenda is injected every day and Wegovy once a week; both are made by Novo Nordisk, which sponsored STEP 8.1,2,9
  • Abu Dhabi’s official prices are AED 1,198.50 for 5 Saxenda pens and AED 1,712 for a Wegovy pen of four 2.4 mg doses.4
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. How are Saxenda and Wegovy different?
  3. Which led to more weight loss, Saxenda or Wegovy?
  4. How do the side effects compare?
  5. How do you take each one?
  6. What does each one cost in the UAE?
  7. Saxenda or Wegovy: what does a doctor weigh?
  8. Questions people ask
  9. How we researched this

How are Saxenda and Wegovy different?

They are two different medicines from the same maker, Novo Nordisk. Saxenda (liraglutide) is a daily injection; Wegovy (semaglutide) is a weekly one.1,2

Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only in the UAE and should only be used under medical supervision.10
  • Label facts come from the EU labels, named each time. We could not find the UAE leaflets online, so check the leaflet in your own pack.
  • Prices are official prices to the public. We name no pharmacy or clinic and rank nothing by price.
  • Every risk is in Guide 5: Side effects and risks. Nothing here promises a result.

The medicine is what works in your body; the brand is the name on the box. Paracetamol is a medicine, and Panadol is one brand of it.

  • Liraglutide is sold as Saxenda for weight and as Victoza for type 2 diabetes. Daman’s rules also list another liraglutide brand for weight, Fitura.3
  • Semaglutide is sold as Wegovy for weight, and as Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes.3

Both copy GLP‑1, a gut hormone released after eating that acts on the brain’s appetite centres. Half of a liraglutide dose is cleared in about 13 hours, against about a week for semaglutide. That is why one is daily and the other weekly.1,2

Which led to more weight loss, Saxenda or Wegovy?

In STEP 8, the only head-to-head trial, adults lost 15.8% of their weight on Wegovy and 6.4% on Saxenda over 68 weeks.2,7

The trial followed 338 adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition, without diabetes.7 Both groups knew which medicine they had, though each was compared with a dummy injection (a placebo).2 Novo Nordisk, which makes both, sponsored it.9

Share of people who lost at least 10%, 15% and 20% of their weight in STEP 8
One head-to-head trial, 68 weeks.
At least 10%
Wegovy69 in 100
Saxenda27 in 100
At least 15%
Wegovy54 in 100
Saxenda13 in 100
At least 20%
Wegovy37 in 100
Saxenda7 in 100
Source: EU Wegovy label, Table 9 (STEP 8). Checked 14 Oct 2026.

For someone who starts at 100 kg (220 lb), 15.8% is about 16 kg (35 lb) and 6.4% about 6 kg (14 lb). These are averages: some people lose much more, some very little.2

In Saxenda’s own 56-week trial, people lost 8.0% on Saxenda against 2.6% on dummy injections.1 That is a separate trial, so it can’t be set against STEP 8 directly.

How do the side effects compare?

They are the same kind: mostly nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. In STEP 8, stomach side effects hit 84 in 100 people on Wegovy and 83 in 100 on Saxenda.7

  • Stopping treatment: 14 in 100 people on Wegovy stopped for any reason, against 28 in 100 on Saxenda.7
  • Frequency bands: on both EU labels, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are very common (more than 1 in 10).1,2
RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects are very common (more than 1 in 10) on both EU labels.1,2
  • Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can harm the kidneys.1,2
  • Pancreatitis (a swollen, inflamed pancreas) is uncommon, 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000, and gallstones common, 1 in 10 to 1 in 100, on both EU labels.1,2
  • Low blood sugar is more likely if you also take insulin or a sulphonylurea.1
  • Not in pregnancy. Neither should be used in pregnancy; the Wegovy label says stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.1,2
Full detail in Guide 5: Side effects and risks →
Get help now: call 998 for an ambulance, or 999.11 Call for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, or vomiting or diarrhoea that stops you keeping fluids down. Call too for a swollen face or trouble breathing.1,2

How do you take each one?

Saxenda is injected every day and reaches its full dose in week 5. Wegovy is injected once a week and reaches its full dose in week 17.1,2

  • Missed dose: a Saxenda dose can be taken within 12 hours of the usual time; after that, skip it. A Wegovy dose can be taken within 5 days.1,2
  • Pens in use: a Saxenda pen keeps for 1 month, a Wegovy pen for 6 weeks, below 30 °C or in a fridge.1,2
  • When to review: the EU Saxenda label says stop after 12 weeks on 3 mg if you haven’t lost at least 5%. Abu Dhabi’s standard continues any GLP‑1 past 6 months only after a 5% loss.1,12

UAE summers go far above 30 °C. Our post on storing pens in the heat covers cars and deliveries.

ToolWhat would a year cost?

The cost calculator uses the same official Abu Dhabi prices, dose by dose, for the months you choose.

Open the calculator

What does each one cost in the UAE?

Prices are fixed nationally. A Saxenda pack of 5 pens costs AED 1,198.50; a Wegovy pen of four 2.4 mg doses costs AED 1,712.4

  • Saxenda: one price for the pack, whatever your dose. Each pen holds 18 mg, so a pack lasts 30 days at 3 mg a day and longer on the starting doses.4,1
  • Wegovy: AED 743.50 for a pen of 0.25 or 0.5 mg doses, AED 1,145.50 at 1 mg, AED 1,440 at 1.7 mg and AED 1,712 at 2.4 mg.4

A year at the full dose comes to about AED 14,542 for Saxenda and AED 22,256 for Wegovy, by our arithmetic. Doctor visits and tests are extra.4

Most people pay themselves. Dubai’s basic plan excludes weight-loss medicines, and Daman covers them only inside the Thiqa obesity programme.8,3 Short answers: Saxenda price in the UAE and Wegovy price in the UAE.

Saxenda or Wegovy: what does a doctor weigh?

A doctor decides, and this page doesn’t recommend either. In Abu Dhabi, the obesity-certified doctor decides when to start a medicine.12

Things a doctor may weigh:

  • The head-to-head result above, and how you tolerated any earlier medicine.2,7
  • Daily or weekly injections, and how fast the dose builds up.1,2
  • Age: the EU Saxenda label also covers children from 6 and teenagers, with weight and BMI limits of its own.1 Our post on teenagers in the UAE explains more.
  • Other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, kidney problems or a past pancreatitis.1,2
  • Who pays, since cover for weight is limited.8,3

The rules on who can be considered differ by emirate. Abu Dhabi’s standard starts at BMI 30 with a weight-related condition, or over 40.12 Dubai’s guideline allows BMI over 30, or 27 to 29.9 with a condition, after lifestyle changes alone haven’t worked.13 See Guide 6 for prescriptions.

Questions people ask

Is Saxenda the same as Wegovy?

No. Saxenda contains liraglutide and is injected daily; Wegovy contains semaglutide and is injected weekly. Novo Nordisk makes both.1,2

Is Saxenda the same as Ozempic?

No. Ozempic contains semaglutide, the medicine in Wegovy, and is used for type 2 diabetes. Saxenda contains liraglutide.3

How much more weight did people lose on Wegovy than Saxenda?

In STEP 8, 15.8% on Wegovy against 6.4% on Saxenda over 68 weeks, a gap of 9.4 percentage points.2

How long does a Saxenda pack last?

A pack of 5 pens of 18 mg lasts 30 days at the full 3 mg daily dose, and longer on the starting doses.4,1

Is Saxenda available in the UAE?

Yes. It is on Abu Dhabi’s official drug list as a prescription-only medicine at AED 1,198.50 for 5 pens.4

How we researched this

On 14 Oct 2026 we read the EU labels for Saxenda and Wegovy, including STEP 8 in the Wegovy label, the STEP 8 paper’s abstract and its trial registration. UAE use and cover come from Daman’s GLP‑1 rules, the Dubai basic plan and Abu Dhabi’s health department.

Prices are the official “package price to public” on Abu Dhabi’s drug list, effective 2 October 2026, never a seller’s price. Monthly and yearly figures are our arithmetic, done the same way as our cost calculator. We could not find the date Saxenda was first registered in the UAE.

Before you move on

  • Saxenda is daily liraglutide; Wegovy is weekly semaglutide.
  • One head-to-head trial: 15.8% on Wegovy, 6.4% on Saxenda, sponsored by their shared maker.
  • Stomach side effects were about as common on both.
  • Prices are fixed; a doctor decides which medicine fits.
Side effects and risksConsidering it for weightSaxenda price

More from the UAE blog

AEUnited Arab EmiratesGLP‑1 prices in the UAE AEUnited Arab EmiratesDoes insurance cover GLP‑1s in the UAE? AEUnited Arab EmiratesStoring GLP‑1 pens in UAE heat
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An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don't sell medicines, take drug-company money or earn clinic commissions. Once a month: UAE approvals, official price changes, insurance rules and safety alerts. How we write

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Sources

  1. European Medicines Agency. Saxenda (liraglutide): EU summary of product characteristics and package leaflet (EU label), sections 4.1 (stop after 12 weeks on 3.0 mg if less than 5% weight lost), 4.2 (0.6 mg a day rising by 0.6 mg each week to 3.0 mg; missed dose rule), 4.6, 4.8, 5.1 (Trial 1, SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes, Table 5), 5.2 (half-life about 13 hours) and 6.3 (in use: 1 month below 30 °C or in a refrigerator). Not the UAE label. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
  2. European Medicines Agency. Wegovy (semaglutide): EU summary of product characteristics and package leaflet (EU label), sections 4.1, 4.2 (dose steps; missed dose within 5 days), 4.6 (stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy), 4.8, 5.1 (STEP 1, Table 4; STEP 8, Table 9), 5.2 (half-life about 1 week) and 6.3 (in use: 6 weeks below 30 °C or in a refrigerator). Not the UAE label. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
  3. Daman (National Health Insurance Company). Adjudication guideline: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP‑1) Receptor Agonist, version 5, effective 15 January 2023, revised 19 April 2026: section 3.1.2 (obesity medicines covered under Thiqa for patients enrolled in the Thiqa obesity programme); section 3.3 (obesity medicines “not covered for members who are not enrolled in the Thiqa Obesity Program”); Table 1 (Saxenda/Fitura and Wegovy for obesity; Rybelsus and Ozempic for type 2 diabetes). damaninsurance.ae (PDF)
  4. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Shafafiya drug price list (Drugs.xlsx), released 26 September 2026, effective 2 October 2026: official “Package Price to Public” for each pack named here, each listed as a prescription-only medicine (“POM”). Downloaded and checked 12 October 2026. shafafiyaportal.doh.gov.ae (XLSX)
  5. 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”). isahd.ae (PDF)
  6. Gulf News. Higher maintenance dose of weight-loss drug Wegovy approved in EU: when will UAE get it? (“discussions with UAE regulators are ongoing, though no timeline has been set”). 2 March 2026. gulfnews.com
  7. Rubino DM et al. Effect of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs daily liraglutide on body weight in adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes: the STEP 8 randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2022;327(2):138–150. 338 adults, 68 weeks, open-label between the two medicines. PMID 35015037. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. Cigna. Essential Benefits Plan (Dubai Health Authority basic plan), table of benefits: exclusion 9 includes “pharmacological weight reduction regimens”; medicines “As per DHA formulary” with a maximum benefit of AED 2,500. cigna-me.com (PDF)
  9. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT04074161, STEP 8 (semaglutide compared with liraglutide in people living with overweight or obesity). Lead sponsor: Novo Nordisk A/S. Checked 14 October 2026. clinicaltrials.gov
  10. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Circular 48/2026, 16 March 2026: alert on counterfeit weight-loss products that falsely claim to contain GLP‑1 medicines, relaying an Australian (TGA) advisory; GLP‑1 medicines “are prescription-only medicines and should only be used under medical supervision”; the products are not registered with the Emirates Drug Establishment but are sold online and on social media; products bought online may be fake, contain undisclosed ingredients or give no medical benefit; report to [email protected]. Summarised, not reproduced, as the circular asks. doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  11. Department of Digital Ajman. Handling emergencies: 999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 civil defence; Ministry of Health and Prevention hotline 80011111 for fake or harmful medicines. Checked 12 October 2026. ajman.ae
  12. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Standard for Non-Surgical Management of Obesity, DOH/ST/HPS/Non-Surgical-MO/V1/2025, February 2025: section 3.4.2 (GLP‑1 medicines from BMI 30 with a weight-related condition, or over 40; “Continue beyond 6 months only if the patient has lost at least 5% of their initial body weight”; “The obesity certified physician determines the initiation time of pharmacological treatment”). doh.gov.ae (PDF)
  13. Dubai Health Authority. Clinical Guidelines for Virtual Management of Obesity, DHA/HRS/HPSD/CG-53, issue 2, effective 21 April 2024 (medicines can be considered at BMI over 30, or 27 to 29.9 with a condition, after lifestyle changes alone have not worked). dha.gov.ae (PDF)

Last checked 14 Oct 2026 · Next review due 14 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this page 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