Abu Dhabi supermarkets must clear junk food from checkouts by 2027

The new rule comes from Healthy Living, working with the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA) and the Department of Economic Development (ADDED). The Department of Health, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority helped shape the standards too. It applies to physical stores larger than 4,000 square feet, so most major supermarket chains in the emirate are covered.

Officials say the change is designed to nudge shoppers toward healthier choices without cutting off access to any product. Products flagged under the Public Health Centre's SEHHI classification system, which rates food and drink for fat, salt, and sugar content, are the ones affected by the new placement rules.

Under the policy, food and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar cannot sit in what officials call "high-visibility locations." That means no sweets or chips lined up beside the checkout, at the ends of aisles, or right inside the entrance. The products are not banned. Shoppers can still buy them, just not as an impulse grab on the way to pay.

The rule reaches online shopping too. Supermarkets must stop featuring unhealthy items on the home page, in search results, in promotional pop-ups, or on the checkout page of their apps and websites.

"We are working closely with relevant entities to meet the growing demands of consumers, placing their health, safety, and well-being at the top of our priorities," said Mohamed Munif Al Mansoori, ADRA's Director General.

Dr Ahmed AlKhazraiji, Healthy Living's Executive Director, said the goal is to change what shoppers see first. "When the products consumers encounter first are not the least nutritious options, healthier choices become the natural default," he said.

Some retailers are already moving early. Majid Al Futtaim, which runs Carrefour across the UAE, said it is repositioning shelves ahead of the deadline. "Retailers have a unique opportunity to help shape healthier communities through the everyday choices they enable," said Ahmed Galal Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Holding.

Residents welcomed the change. Rawdha Mohammed, an Omani resident, called it "an excellent, healthy step that will change many habits for us and our children, especially impulse buying at the counter." Jordanian resident Omaima Saleh said putting healthier options up front "will push people to think before they buy."

Emirati shopper Mansour Alhashmi said he has already noticed a difference at the till. "Sweets at the cashier have started disappearing," he said, adding that fewer impulse buys help household budgets too. Egyptian resident Jamal Abdulaziz said Nutri-Mark nutrition labels on shelves have already nudged him to swap some products after checking their sugar and oil content.

For residents, the practical change is simple: expect fewer sweets and salty snacks staring back at you in the checkout line over the next 18 months, and more of them tucked back in their regular aisle. If you shop at a large supermarket in Abu Dhabi, the rollout should be gradual between now and the January 2027 deadline rather than a single overnight switch.

The policy sits alongside other Abu Dhabi Healthy Living steps, including Nutri-Mark front-of-pack labels that already flag high sugar, salt, or fat content on shelves. Together, officials say the aim is to make the healthier option the easy option, without taking any product off the shelves entirely.