Dubai: As the UAE takes a decisive step towards improving public health with the introduction of its new tiered sugar tax, effective January 1, 2026, Aster Clinics UAE - a leading integrated healthcare provider under Aster DM Healthcare in the GCC, has launched the Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic at Aster Clinic, Al Qusais (Damascus Street), alongside an impactful public awareness initiative titled “Sweet Surprise by Aster.” The campaign aims to educate communities on hidden sugar consumption and encourage early diabetes screening, aligning closely with the nation’s efforts to curb the rising rates of obesity and diabetes.

The launch of the Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic aligns with the Dubai 10X initiative under the Dubai Future Foundation, which champions a future-ready healthcare model focused on early disease detection and prevention. Similar to Dubai 10X’s Early Disease Detection System for diabetes, designed to leverage data, AI, and proactive screening to identify risks before symptoms appear, Aster’s integrated care approach shifts the focus from reactive treatment to early intervention, long-term prevention, and sustainable health outcomes.

Also, the newly implemented sugar tax replaces the earlier flat excise duty with a volumetric system that taxes sweetened beverages based on sugar content per 100ml, incentivising manufacturers and consumers to opt for lower-sugar alternatives. With diabetes and prediabetes affecting nearly one in three adults in the UAE, and 27.3% of adults consuming more sugar than recommended - over a quarter of whom drink sugar-sweetened beverages daily, Aster’s initiative seeks to turn awareness into meaningful action.[1][2]The average resident consumes far more sugar than recommended by the World Health Organization, which advises that free sugars should be less than 10% of total daily energy intake (roughly 25–50 g/day for adults).[3]

The Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic has been designed with a clear objective: to provide comprehensive, continuous care throughout the entire diabetes journey, from early detection and diagnosis to expert management, complication prevention, and long-term support. The clinic offers holistic diabetes care across the full spectrum of the condition, ensuring patients receive complete care, from diagnosis to diet, medication to mindset, under one roof. Through a compassionate, patient-centric approach, the clinic monitors, guides, supports, and transforms health every day.

Care at the clinic extends beyond diabetes alone to include metabolic health, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and kidney disease management, delivered through an integrated model aligned with American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2024, World Health Organization (WHO), and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) guidelines. Patients benefit from access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices available at the pharmacy, personalised nutrition and lifestyle programmes, early detection and expert clinical management, structured Diabetes Self-Management Training, and mental and preventive health support. Specialised screening services address common diabetes-related complications, including diabetic eye disease, neuropathy and foot care, and renal conditions. To ensure quality and measurable outcomes, the clinic maintains a diabetes data repository that supports centralised tracking and continuous improvement of care.

At the heart of the clinic launch is Sweet Surprise by Aster, an innovative awareness initiative highlighting the hidden sugar content in everyday diets. The campaign features a re-engineered vending machine that dispenses sugar cubes instead of snacks, visually representing the sugar found in commonly consumed beverages. Designed to drive awareness into action, the activation encourages participants to engage digitally via a QR code and claim a free diabetes screening voucher, leading them to the Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic.

The clinic launch was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Aster’s senior leadership, highlighting the start of a broader engagement strategy that includes patient stories, awareness campaigns focused on obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, corporate wellness programmes, and community outreach initiatives such as diabetes awareness days, health check-up camps, and education workshops.

The campaign addresses a critical awareness gap, as 40.7% percent of people with diabetes in the UAE remain undiagnosed, despite evidence showing that awareness-led screening can significantly improve early detection.[4] While diabetes management involves multiple factors beyond sugar intake, Aster is using sugar awareness as a powerful starting point to spark conversation, education, and proactive health decisions.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Sherbaz Bichu, CEO of Aster Hospitals & Clinics – UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, said “Diabetes affects far more than blood sugar levels; it impacts energy, lifestyle, and long-term health outcomes. The Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic was created to support patients at every stage of their journey, from early risk detection to managing complex complications.

Through Sweet Surprise by Aster, we are turning hidden sugar consumption into visible awareness and more importantly, into action. Early detection of prediabetes can prevent or delay progression, but it requires a coordinated approach involving specialists, nutritionists, educators, and ongoing support. That integrated model is exactly what we have built.”

The Diabetes 360 Care Clinic builds on Aster’s strong foundation in chronic disease management, combining medical expertise, education, technology, and emotional support into a seamless care experience supported by standardised processes, EMR integration, and global best practices.

Through the Aster Diabetes 360 Care Clinic and the Sweet Surprise by Aster campaign, Aster Clinics UAE reinforces its role as a trusted healthcare partner, committed to empowering communities with knowledge, early intervention, and lifelong support in the fight against diabetes.