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UAE to combine traditional Emirati medicine with healthcare, says health minister
Ahmed Al Sayegh recalled that 70% of his childhood treatments were traditional medicine, saying it made 'Emiratis stronger' back then
- PUBLISHED: Thu 5 Feb 2026, 3:58 PM UPDATED: Thu 5 Feb 2026, 10:02 PM
- By:
- Hind Aldah
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The UAE will combine traditional holistic medicine used by most Emiratis' ancestors with conventional medicine, the health minister announced. Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention, said on Thursday that medical clinics will introduce "Emirati traditional medicine" backed by science.
Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with lifestyle changes and considers the mind and spirit, not just the physical body. Al Sayegh, appointed minister of health in September last year, recalled that 70 per cent of his childhood treatments were traditional medicine, saying it made “Emiratis stronger” back then.
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Decades ago, before the first skyline appeared, medical centres were few and far between, and limited transport made them even harder to reach. As is widely known within the community, Emiratis often relied on treatment from community members in their neighbourhoods.
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"Currently (integrative medicine) sits on the margins and we want to bring it into the centre of our prevention of disease and of our lifestyle improvements," he said, adding that the Ministry will build a legislative framework to make it safe for patients. The Minister made these comments on the final day of the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
He added that child and mother mortality rates in the UAE were among the highest in the world six decades ago, but this is no longer the case because of science, not traditional medicine. “Our practise in the UAE is to take anything that has to do with our population very seriously,” Al Sayegh said.
“We realise now that we've sort of ignored an important part of our wellness, which has to do with our tradition,” he added, giving the example of pregnant women’s holistic needs. “Our mothers will tell you how every month should proceed. And it's not just vitamins. They prescribe certain foods, exercises. We have our own kind of yoga that we especially for pregnant women,” he explained.
“We still have some of these skills, but we're losing it. Our role at the ministry is to ensure we train our young to learn from their elders, but also to make it science-based,” he added.
UAE frontiers in holistic medicine
In January this year, the newly formed UAE Integrative Medicine Council (UAEIMC) called for a new era of integrating evidence-based holistic healthcare into conventional medical treatments.
The Council, established in September 2025, is chaired by Sheikha Salama bint Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan. It aims to strengthen the concept of integrative medicine in the UAE as a “multidisciplinary approach that combines modern, traditional, and complementary medical practices in a safe, structured, and evidence-based manner.”
The UAE will also host the AYUSH Conference & Exhibition later this month, which will bring together wellness brands, clinics and hospital representatives to showcase their ancient medical traditions and their modern-day applications.
Hind Aldah covers business, tech, crypto and all that jazz for a younger audience. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.
