UAE’s healthcare bill for diabetes could soar to $3.4 billion a year, study suggests

The annual cost of dealing with type 2 diabetes in the UAE could soar to $3.4 billion by 2031, a new study has suggested.

Researchers in Abu Dhabi forecast that 1.6 million people in the country will have the condition in the early part of the next decade, while even more will have major health problems.

Sedentary lifestyles and poor diet in the Gulf region have contributed to soaring rates of diabetes, which can lead to heart disease, strokes,…