Abu Dhabi hotel healthy menu rules took full effect on 1 October 2026, requiring every hotel restaurant and food and beverage outlet licensed by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) to comply or face enforcement action.
The rules had been in force since 1 July 2026, with a three-month grace period giving establishments time to adapt. That window has now closed.
What the rules require
Each adult menu category (appetisers, main courses, side dishes and desserts) must include at least one healthy option. At children’s menus, at least 50 per cent of items must meet approved nutritional standards.
Compliant dishes are identified through SEHHI, Abu Dhabi’s nutritional classification system developed by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC). The SEHHI criteria assess calorie count, total fats, saturated and trans fats, sugar, salt and fibre. Outlets can submit their dishes through a digitised platform that analyses nutritional values and flags those meeting the standard.
The SEHHI programme covers three distinct streams for food outlets: a healthy menus track that places the SEHHI logo on qualifying dishes, a calorie-display requirement, and a separate strand for supermarkets and grocery retailers. According to the ADPHC’s SEHHI programme, it also operates in schools and workplaces across the emirate.
A second rule requires low-sodium salt to replace standard salt as the default table option at all covered outlets. DCT Abu Dhabi said the change is backed by evidence from a study of nearly 21,000 people, which found that switching to low-sodium salt was associated with 14 per cent fewer strokes, 13 per cent fewer major cardiovascular events and 12 per cent fewer premature deaths.
The DCT Abu Dhabi and Healthy Living partnership
Both measures form part of a collaboration agreement between DCT Abu Dhabi and Healthy Living, Abu Dhabi’s government-led programme for supporting longer and healthier lives. The agreement commits the two bodies to developing evidence-informed policies, engaging hotels, restaurants and tourism operators, and conducting research to test and scale effective interventions.
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said the policies reflect Abu Dhabi’s commitment to making health and wellbeing part of the hospitality experience, and that the collaboration shows how tourism, hospitality and public health can work together to raise sector standards.
Dr Ahmed Alkhazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living, said the goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice, adding that changes already visible on menus and at the table represent progress the agreement will build on.
The ADPHC’s sustainability report notes that the SEHHI programme began in educational institutes, with 130 private schools participating in an initial phase, before expanding to food outlets and workplaces.
DCT Abu Dhabi and Healthy Living said they will continue working with hospitality partners to identify further opportunities, test approaches and expand health and wellbeing initiatives across Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector.
