Is Semaglutide legal in United Arab Emirates?

The Emirates Drug Establishment approved oral Wegovy on 1 June 2026 for long-term weight management in adults with obesity or overweight, and for reducing major cardiovascular events in high-risk patients; it said the UAE was the second country to authorise it. Wegovy injection was reported as available for weight loss in the UAE by May 2024, and Novo Nordisk's UAE professional portal lists it for chronic obesity; a paediatric endocrinologist quoted in July 2026 said it is approved for adolescents aged 12 and over under medical criteria. Ozempic is listed on the same portal for type 2 diabetes. All are prescription medicines, and insurance cover for the weight-management use is limited in most plans. In March 2026 Novo Nordisk UAE said it was engaging with regulators on the higher-dose Wegovy injection approved in Europe; I found no report of UAE approval since. I could not check an EDE product register, so approval dates for the injectable products rest on company and press reports.