All Emirati citizens will be required to undergo genetic testing as part of premarital screenings starting in January 2025, the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi announced.
“This preventive measure safeguards community members from hereditary diseases and allows couples to undergo genetic testing to determine if they carry shared genetic mutations that could be passed on to their offspring, potentially causing preventable genetic diseases,” Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi, said during her keynote session on the Emirati Genome Program at the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2024.
“Common genetic mutations among couples can lead to conditions such as vision and hearing loss, blood clotting disorders, developmental delays, organ failure, hormonal imbalances, and severe seizures,” Dr. Al Ghaithi was quoted as saying in a WAM report.
All Emirati citizens nationwide who are planning to marry are required to undertake premarital medical examinations, with genetic testing previously being optional. However, it was mandated for all citizens in Abu Dhabi just last month.
Twenty-two primary care centers across Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra, and Al Ain currently offer the service, results of which normally take up to two weeks.
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Dr. Al Ghaithi explained that the genetic testing covers 570 genes associated with more than 840 genetic disorders.
She also noted that data from the Emirati Genome Program have led to the discovery of 12% of new genetic variants, and that, according to the program’s findings, over 25% of Emiratis carry genes that enhance resilience to psychological stress, 46% have genetic variants that aid in lactose digestion, and 20% of future generations may have a higher risk of developing Type 1 diabetes.
