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Reading path6 guides, in order

I'm thinking about a GLP-1 for my weight. Where do I start?

A reading path for anyone in the UAE weighing up Wegovy, Mounjaro or Foundayo, in the order that makes the decision easier.

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 12 Oct 20264 min read11 sourcesWritten from published sources
The short answer

Start with your health, not the medicine. UAE doctors use the WHO BMI lines, and risk starts lower for people of Asian origin. Medicines are one option, alongside food, activity and sometimes surgery. GLP-1s are usually long-term, need a prescription from a UAE-licensed doctor, cost money every month and have side effects. These six guides walk you through the decision in order.

Read this page first. It covers what the UAE numbers mean for you, how to make the decision and what to expect if you start. At the end, six guides take you further, in order.
On this page
  1. The UAE numbers
  2. The decision, step by step
  3. What to expect
  4. The risks, in brief
  5. What to read next
  6. Sources

What do the numbers mean for me?

They measure health risk. They don't decide whether you should take a medicine.

BMI (body mass index) compares your weight with your height. Waist size shows how much fat sits around your belly.

UAE health authorities use the WHO lines. People of Asian origin, including South Asians, start to face risk at lower numbers.1,2

MeasureWhat it means
BMI 25 to 29.9Overweight (WHO)3
BMI 30 or moreObesity (WHO)3
BMI above 23, Asian originHealth risk already starts1
Waist, Asian adultsOver 90 cm (35.4 in) in men, 80 cm (31.5 in) in women counts as abnormal2

Guide 1 explains these, and why Indian guidelines use lower lines.

Medicines come in at a higher line. Dubai's guideline says a doctor may consider them at a BMI over 30, or 27 to 29.9 with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes or sleep apnoea, after a lifestyle programme.2 Abu Dhabi's standard needs a BMI of 30 or more with a weight-related condition, or over 40.1

A number is not a prescription. Being over a line means a doctor may consider a medicine. It doesn't mean you qualify. It's a starting point for a conversation with a doctor.

How should I make the decision?

One step at a time, in this order. Each step has a guide.

1Check your numbers and health (Guide 1)
2Compare all your options (Guide 3)
3Ask if a GLP-1 fits you, and when not (Guide 4)
4Weigh the side effects (Guide 5)
5See a licensed doctor; learn the rules, medicines and prices (Guide 6)
6Choosing a clinic or programme? Check it first (Guide 7)
7Review how it's going at about 6 months

Medicines don't replace food and activity changes. The WHO says GLP-1 treatment should come with support for healthy eating and physical activity.4

Step 5 means a UAE-licensed doctor. In Abu Dhabi, a doctor certified in obesity management decides when to start a medicine for weight, and an online doctor must see you on a live audio or video call first.1,5 Check what your insurance pays before you start: Dubai's basic plan excludes weight-loss medicines.6

The review step matters too. Abu Dhabi's standard says to continue beyond 6 months only if you've lost at least 5% of your starting weight.1

What should I expect if I do start?

Expect three things:

  • weight loss that is real, but varies a lot from person to person
  • stomach side effects for many people, especially early on
  • a long-term commitment, because the weight tends to return after stopping

The main semaglutide weight trial, STEP 1, shows what to expect. People were put into two groups at random. One group got the medicine and the other a dummy injection with no medicine in it. Both groups got the same diet and activity advice. So the gap between the two groups is what the medicine added.7

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

STEP 1Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy), weekly

1,961 adults with obesity or overweight and no diabetes, 68 weeks.7

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

So about 12.5% of body weight, or 11 kg for a 90 kg person, came from the medicine itself.

These are averages, and people varied a lot. On semaglutide, about 86 in 100 lost at least 5% of their body weight, against about 32 in 100 on the dummy injection, and about 1 in 3 lost 20% or more. Put the other way, about 1 in 7 on semaglutide lost less than 5%.7

Most of the weight usually comes back after stopping. A year after stopping, people followed up from STEP 1 had regained about two-thirds of what they lost.8 So plan as if you'll stay on it, and budget for that: a Mounjaro pen is AED 1,734 a month at any dose, on Abu Dhabi's official drug list.9 Guide 9 covers stopping.

Just a few kilos?It's for a family memberBMI calculator

What to read next, in order

These six 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 9UnderstandCheck where you stand with the BMI and waist numbers UAE doctors use, and what they say about your health.
  2. 2Your options, and where medicines fitGuide 3 of 9DecideSee lifestyle support, other medicines, GLP-1s and surgery side by side before you pick one.
  3. 3Should I consider a GLP-1? And when not toGuide 4 of 9DecideWho doctors may consider for a GLP-1, and the times it isn't a good idea.
  4. 4Side effects and risksGuide 5 of 9DecideWhat the first weeks feel like, and the rarer risks to know before you start.
  5. 5Getting a prescription in the UAEGuide 6 of 9Do it safelyWho may prescribe in each emirate, the brands, fakes, insurance and official prices.
  6. 6Choosing a doctor, clinic or programmeGuide 7 of 9Do it safelyIf you are looking at an app, clinic or programme: what they offer, how they charge and what to check.
Was this page easy to understand?

Sources

  1. 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 30 or more with a weight-related comorbidity, or over 40; "The obesity certified physician determines the initiation time of pharmacological treatment"; continue beyond 6 months only with at least 5% weight loss; Asian origin and BMI over 23). Checked 12 October 2026. doh.gov.ae
  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. World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight (fact sheet), 8 December 2025 (BMI 25 or more is overweight, 30 or more is obesity, in adults). who.int
  4. World Health Organization. WHO issues global guideline on the use of GLP-1 medicines in treating obesity. 1 December 2025. Link
  5. Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Standard on Tele-Medicine, DOH/SA/TLM/0.9/2020, effective 16 September 2020 (DoH-licensed facility; "The physician must have real-time audio/video communication with the patient before issuing the prescription"; prescription recorded in the medical record; refer for a face-to-face visit in cases of uncertainty). doh.gov.ae
  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. 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
  8. Wilding JPH et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022;24(8):1553–1564. 327 people followed for a year after stopping. DOI
  9. 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)
  10. 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
  11. 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

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