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Abu Dhabi issues new healthy food law for hotels, restaurants
The new rule also requires at least 50% of children’s menu items to be healthy, with suitable adult dishes adapted into smaller, child-friendly portions
- PUBLISHED: Fri 14 Aug 2026, 1:39 PM UPDATED: Sat 15 Aug 2026, 11:31 PM
Starting October 1, 2026, Abu Dhabi's Department of Tourism and Culture will establish a new law mandating hotels to offer more healthy food options in their menus.
In a circular, the authority said that menus for adults must have at least one healthy option under each menu category, like appetisers, sides, mains and desserts. This will be applicable to all hotel-operated and independent food and beverage outlets holding a tourism licence.
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The healthy option, it explained, must comply with the nutritional standards defined under the SEHHI classification. The SEHHI standard helps identify food items that are lower in fat, sugar, and salt and higher in nutritional value.
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This rule will also be applicable for children's menus. At least half of all items offered on children's menus are healthy options. Where applicable, healthy adult menu items may be adapted and offered to children in smaller, child-appropriate portions to support compliance with this requirement.
These healthy items, the authority added, must be marked on the menu with the SEHHI logo for easier identification.
Compliance requirements
The authority has also issued a list of compliance requirements, which are as follows:
1. Establishments may be required to:
• Submit menus to the Department upon request to verify compliance.
• Provide recipes and nutritional information for assessment by Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, where applicable.
2. Establishments currently engaged with Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre to verify healthy menu items will be considered compliant during the verification process, provided constructive progress is demonstrated.
• Menus are expected to change over time. Where menu items are added or replaced, establishments must ensure that the required minimum number of SEHHI compliant options continues to be met at all times.
3. Any changes to previously approved healthy menu items must be re-submitted for validation to ensure continued compliance.
Exemptions
While this mandate is expected to be followed by all, there are some exceptions that the authority has outlined.
The authority has clarified that buffets and other service models that do not feature a specific menu are not included in this policy. It, however, added that venues offering such choices are expected to to make reasonable healthy food options available for customers.
Tasting food menus too, will be exempt from this policy, as they offer a fixed or curated selection of menu items which is based on a pre-determined set of options.
Also, niche food and beverage outlets offering a small range of food items, that do not aim to provide a full-service meal will not be required to follow this rule. However, the 'niche' restaurant must fit into the below criteria to be exempt:
The outlet must not offer more than three food categories, like hot dogs, ice cream and candy;
No seating must be provided for guests;
There must be no written menu is provided beyond signage or display boards;
If the outlet offers beverages only — as this policy applies exclusively to food offerings.
Healthier food options in Abu Dhabi
The move to introduce such a policy is not isolated. Abu Dhabi, as an emirate, has been ensuring its residents make healthier food choices by putting in mandates for supermarkets, schools.
In Abu Dhabi supermarkets junk food and beverage will have to be moved away from high-visibility areas such as store entrances, checkout counters and end-of-aisle displays from January 1, 2027.
The policy also applies to online supermarket platforms, reducing the prominent display of high-fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) food and beverage products without restricting their sale.
Another policy asks Early Education Institutions (EEIs) across the UAE Capital to implement a sweeping food and nutrition policy and ensure parents are involved in decisions related to their children’s dietary habits.
The updated guidance aims to reduce health risks, support healthy growth, and ensure consistent practices across meals provided by centres, food brought from home, and items shared during celebrations.
School lunch boxes too, must not have sugary drinks, high-fat and high-sugar foods, processed items, additives, and certain dairy and soy products, according to guidance from Abu Dhabi's education authority.
The authority has issued updated healthy eating guidelines and released a list of foods and beverages that are not allowed on school premises. The policy details a list of banned foods in Abu Dhabi schools, whether provided by the school or brought from home.
In one of the first, most visible implementations of new policy, public spaces in the Capital were no longer allowed to promote junk food and drinks that contribute to poor dietary habits at the end of 2025.
The regulations were issued by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi. They set clear limits on what can appear on billboards and various outdoor physical and digital media platforms, tightening control over promotional content seen by residents and visitors.
