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I have type 2 diabetes. Are GLP-1 medicines for me?

What Ozempic, Mounjaro and similar medicines do for blood sugar, how they fit with your other diabetes medicines, and what to read next.

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 12 Oct 20266 min read18 sourcesWritten from published sources
The short answer

They may be. GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are approved in the UAE for type 2 diabetes. They lower HbA1c (a blood test of your average sugar over 2 to 3 months), and often weight. They can be taken alongside metformin, the usual first diabetes tablet. If you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea (an older type of diabetes tablet), your doctor may lower that dose to prevent low sugar.

Read this page first. It covers what's different when you have diabetes: your HbA1c, your other medicines, your kidneys and eyes. At the end, four guides take you further, in order.
On this page
  1. Why this matters in the UAE
  2. What HbA1c is
  3. What HbA1c to aim for
  4. GLP-1s and metformin
  5. Insulin, sulfonylureas and hypos
  6. Kidneys and eyes
  7. Weight loss with diabetes
  8. The risks, in brief
  9. What to read next
  10. Sources

Why does this matter so much in the UAE?

Weight-related health problems are common in the UAE, and they raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention's national survey of 2024–2025 found obesity in 22.4% of adults, high blood pressure in 25.9% and high cholesterol in 54.2%.1 Dubai's obesity guideline notes that people from South Asia carry more total and belly fat, which raises their risk at lower weights.2 We couldn't verify a current official figure for how many UAE adults have diabetes, so we don't quote one.

What is HbA1c, and how do I get it tested?

HbA1c is a common blood test that shows your average blood sugar over the last 2 to 3 months. It's the main number used to track type 2 diabetes, and labs across the UAE do it.

Sugar in your blood sticks to haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells. The test measures how much of it has sugar attached, as a percentage. The more sugar in your blood over those months, the higher the number.3 A finger-prick test shows your sugar at one moment. HbA1c is closer to an average over months.4 Your report may call it A1C or glycated haemoglobin. It's the same test.5

  • No fasting needed. It's a normal blood draw, at any time of day.5
  • How often. With diabetes, US guidance suggests at least twice a year when you're on target, and every 3 months when your treatment changes or you're off target.4
  • Insurance. For diabetes, Dubai's basic plan covers medicines on the DHA formulary up to AED 2,500 a year, with 30% co-insurance on each prescription.6 Check what your own plan pays for tests.
  • The ranges. Below 5.7% is normal, 5.7% to 6.4% is prediabetes, and 6.5% or above is the diabetes range.5

What HbA1c should I aim for?

For most adults with type 2 diabetes, the target is an HbA1c below 7%. Your doctor may set a different one.

A lower target means less risk of long-term damage, but more risk of low sugar. That's why it differs from person to person.4

What a guideline and an insurer say:

Daman (Abu Dhabi's national insurer), 2026

To start cover
An HbA1c of 6.5% or more after at least 6 months on metformin or other diabetes medicines, with heart disease or heart risk factors7
To keep cover
At 12 months, a fall in HbA1c of at least 1 point, or better related conditions7

American Diabetes Association, 2026

Usual target
Below 7% for many adults4
When it may differ
Below 6.5% for some healthy people with a low risk of low sugar4

The insurer's rules decide who it pays for; they are not a treatment target. Your doctor sets yours.

How do they compare with metformin, and can I take both?

Metformin is usually the first tablet for type 2 diabetes. In a direct comparison, a weekly GLP-1 lowered HbA1c a little more than metformin. The two can also be taken together.

A fall in HbA1c of 1 point means, for example, going from 8% to 7%. The two trials below compared medicines with each other, not with a dummy treatment.

Average fall in HbA1c, in points:

AWARD-3Dulaglutide (Trulicity) 1.5 mg weekly vs metformin tablets

807 people with type 2 diabetes, each on one medicine alone, 26 weeks (about 6 months).8

Dulaglutide 1.5 mg0.78
Metformin0.56
SURPASS-2Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) vs semaglutide (Ozempic) 1 mg, weekly

1,879 people already taking metformin, with an average HbA1c of 8.3% at the start, 40 weeks (about 9 months). People knew which medicine they were on. Paid for by Eli Lilly, the maker of tirzepatide.9

Tirzepatide 15 mg2.30
Tirzepatide 10 mg2.24
Tirzepatide 5 mg2.01
Semaglutide 1 mg1.86

These are averages from two separate trials with different people, so don't compare numbers across the two cards. The Ozempic label reports no new safety problems in 959 people who took it with metformin in trials.10

UAE note. Ozempic, Rybelsus, Trulicity and Victoza are approved here for type 2 diabetes; using Ozempic for weight loss is off-label, meaning it isn't approved for that use.7 Mounjaro has been available since 2022 and is registered for diabetes and obesity.11,12 Guide 6 lists every brand and its official price.

What if I also take insulin or a sulfonylurea?

Then your risk of low sugar (a hypo) goes up. Your doctor may lower your insulin or sulfonylurea dose when you start.

Sulfonylureas are older tablets such as glimepiride and gliclazide. They can cause hypos on their own.13 The Ozempic label warns that combining them can cause hypos, including severe ones.10 A lower sulfonylurea or insulin dose may reduce that risk.10 That's your doctor's call, so don't change doses yourself.

Signs of low sugar include:10

  • dizziness, shaking or sweating
  • hunger
  • blurred vision
  • a fast heartbeat
  • confusion or drowsiness
Get help now. Call 998 for an ambulance (or 999) if someone with low sugar becomes confused, very drowsy or can't be woken.14 If you fast in Ramadan and take insulin or a sulfonylurea, plan it with your doctor first.

What about my kidneys and eyes?

For kidneys, one large trial found fewer serious kidney problems on semaglutide in people who already had kidney disease. For eyes, tell your eye doctor you've started, especially if you have retinopathy (damage to the back of the eye from diabetes).

A large kidney trial followed 3,533 people who had type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, for about 3.4 years. Half took semaglutide (Ozempic) 1 mg a week, half a dummy injection.15

The researchers counted everyone who had any one of these:15

  • kidney failure: needing dialysis or a transplant, or kidney function falling very low
  • losing at least half of their kidney function
  • dying from kidney or heart causes

Out of every 100 people, how many had one or more of these:

FLOWSemaglutide (Ozempic) 1 mg, weekly

3,533 people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, about 3.4 years.15

Semaglutide18.7 in 100331 of 1,767
Dummy injection23.2 in 100410 of 1,766

So about 4 or 5 fewer in 100 had one of these on semaglutide.

What this means. Semaglutide lowered the risk of these events by about a quarter (24%).15 Put simply: for every 22 people treated for about 3 years, one fewer person had kidney failure, a big loss of kidney function, or died from kidney or heart causes. The difference was clear enough that the trial was stopped early.15 This was in people who already had kidney disease, so it doesn't show the medicine protects healthy kidneys.

But vomiting or diarrhoea can dry you out, and that can damage the kidneys.10

Eyes. In a 2-year trial in people with type 2 diabetes, eye complications from retinopathy were more common on Ozempic than on a dummy injection. The gap was bigger in people who already had retinopathy.10

Out of every 100 people, how many had eye complications:

Ozempic US labelSemaglutide (Ozempic), weekly

A 2-year trial in people with type 2 diabetes.10

Everyone in the trial

Ozempic3.0 in 100
Dummy injection1.8 in 100

People who already had retinopathy

Ozempic8.2 in 100
Dummy injection5.2 in 100

Bars for eyes are drawn on a scale up to 10 in 100.

Report any change in your vision.10

Will I lose as much weight as people without diabetes?

On average, people with diabetes lost less in trials. Two trials of semaglutide 2.4 mg, the weekly dose sold as Wegovy, each ran for 68 weeks (about 16 months).

Average share of body weight lost, and what that means for someone who starts at 90 kg (198 lb):

STEP 2Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy), weekly

1,210 adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity, 68 weeks.16

Semaglutide9.6%about 9 kg
Dummy injection3.4%about 3 kg
STEP 1Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy), weekly

1,961 adults with overweight or obesity and no diabetes, 68 weeks.17

Semaglutide14.9%about 13 kg
Dummy injection2.4%about 2 kg

What this means. These are separate trials with different people, so the gap between them is a rough guide, not a direct comparison. They are averages too, so your own result may be higher or lower.

Questions to take to your doctor

  • What is my HbA1c target, and why?
  • Should my glimepiride, gliclazide or insulin dose change if I start?
  • Do I need an eye check first?
Side effectsMedicines and pricesFasting in Ramadan

What to read next, in order

These four guides go deeper. Each one ends with a link to the next, so you can read them one after another.

  1. 1Do I have obesity? Weight and health in the UAEGuide 1 of 9UnderstandWhy people of Asian origin get diabetes at lower weights, and what BMI and waist mean for you.
  2. 2What do GLP-1 medicines do?Guide 2 of 9UnderstandHow these medicines release insulin only when sugar is high.
  3. 3Side effects and risksGuide 5 of 9DecideStomach effects, and the risks that matter more with diabetes.
  4. 4Getting a prescription in the UAEGuide 6 of 9Do it safelyBrands approved for diabetes, insurance cover and official prices.
Was this page easy to understand?

Sources

  1. Gulf News. UAE residents smoke less, embrace more active lifestyles: MOHAP national health survey (National Health and Nutrition Survey 2024–2025: adult obesity 22.4%). 6 January 2026. gulfnews.com
  2. Dubai Health Authority. Clinical Guidelines for Virtual Management of Obesity, DHA/HRS/HPSD/CG-53, issue 2, effective 21 April 2024 (applies to DHA-licensed physicians and facilities providing telehealth; excludes emergencies and controlled medicines; drug therapy at BMI over 30, or 27 to 29.9 with comorbidities, after a comprehensive lifestyle intervention without at least 5% loss at 3 to 6 months; bariatric surgery at BMI 40 or more, or 35 to 39.9 with a serious comorbidity; Asian waist cut-offs). PDF
  3. Nathan DM et al. Translating the A1C assay into estimated average glucose values (ADAG). Diabetes Care, 2008;31(8):1473–1478. 507 people. DOI
  4. American Diabetes Association. 6. Glycemic goals, hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemic crises: Standards of Care in Diabetes 2026. Diabetes Care, 2026;49(Suppl 1):S132. Recommendations 6.2, 6.3a, 6.4. Declared interests: 2 of 20 committee members declare consulting, advisory or grant ties to Novo Nordisk and 1 to Eli Lilly; 5 of 22 invited subject experts declare ties to each (ADA's own 2026 disclosure list). Full text
  5. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes 2026. Diabetes Care, 2026;49(Suppl 1):S27–S49. Tables 2.1–2.3. DOI
  6. Cigna. Essential Benefits Plan (Dubai Health Authority basic plan), table of benefits: medicines "As per DHA formulary", maximum AED 2,500 a year with 30% co-insurance; exclusions 8 ("Surgical and non-surgical treatment for obesity (including morbid obesity), and any other weight control programs, services, or supplies") and 9 ("pharmacological weight reduction regimens"). Checked 12 October 2026. PDF
  7. 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 (table of GLP-1 brands and approved uses; diabetes cover needs HbA1c 6.5% or more, cardiovascular disease or risk factors, and at least 6 months on metformin or other agents; prior approval; first supply one month; prescribers in internal medicine, endocrinology, family medicine or cardiology; obesity medicines covered only within the Thiqa obesity programme). Checked 12 October 2026. PDF
  8. Umpierrez G et al. Efficacy and safety of dulaglutide monotherapy versus metformin in type 2 diabetes (AWARD-3). Diabetes Care, 2014;37(8):2168–2176. 807 people, 26 weeks. DOI
  9. Frías JP et al. Tirzepatide versus semaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-2). NEJM, 2021;385:503–515. All participants were on metformin (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03987919). DOI
  10. Novo Nordisk. Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, US prescribing information and Medication Guide, revised May 2026. Sections 4, 5.3, 5.5, 5.6, 7.2, 8.5. (US label; the UAE label is not published online.) PDF
  11. 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
  12. 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"). Checked 12 October 2026. PDF
  13. Glimepiride tablets prescribing information, US label (FDA), via DailyMed (hypoglycaemia warning). DailyMed
  14. Department of Digital Ajman. Handling emergencies (999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 civil defence). Checked 12 October 2026. ajman.ae
  15. Perkovic V et al. Effects of semaglutide on chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (FLOW). NEJM, 2024;391:109–121. 3,533 people, median 3.4 years. DOI
  16. Davies M et al. Semaglutide 2.4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2). Lancet, 2021;397:971–984. DOI
  17. Wilding JPH et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). NEJM, 2021;384:989–1002. 1,961 adults without diabetes, 68 weeks. DOI
  18. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) US prescribing information, revised June 2026. Sections 1, 2.2, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5, 8.3, 17. (US label.) PDF

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due Jan 2027

How this page was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above: drug labels, published trials, international guidelines, UAE health-authority and insurance documents, and named news reports. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. In a medical emergency, call 998 for an ambulance, or 999. How we write