Burden and Characteristics of Diabetes and the Outcome of Care in the UAE

Introduction: The United Arab Emirates (UAE), among the rest of the Arab Gulf countries, exhibits a high prevalence of diabetes, primarily type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to provide an overview of the epidemiology, classification, clinical characteristics, complications, and quality of care, including the impact of diabetes technology, and to explore the challenges of diabetes management and future directions in clinical practice and research. Methods: A focused review of the literature on relevant themes was conducted to address the study. Results: Several epidemiological studies documented the increased diabetes prevalence in the native population and expatriates. The vast majority focused on T2D. Diabetes prevalence in the UAE is estimated at 12.3% for the 20–79 age group. Although the high prevalence was recognized and acknowledged as a national priority, several challenges exist in standardizing care across the population. There are gaps in research about the nationwide prevalence of both types of diabetes. Some research has evaluated the role of technology in diabetes care, genetic predilection to complications, and particular aspects such as diabetes during pregnancy, neonatal diabetes, monogenic diabetes, and cardiovascular risk in diabetes. The UAE recently became a focal point for health-related Ramadan fasting research, including diabetes. Conclusions: Diabetes in the UAE considerably burdens the healthcare system. A concerted effort is needed to adopt diabetes management uniformity nationwide, use unified methods to document the nationwide burden, explore possible differences in various epidemiological phenomena, access to healthcare, impact on outcomes, and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of care using different models.