Hotels and tourism-licensed dining venues across Abu Dhabi will face full enforcement of new healthy menu requirements starting 1 October 2026.
The policy applies to every hotel restaurant and food and beverage outlet operating under a Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi licence. While the rules formally took effect on 1 July 2026, regulators granted venues a three-month grace period to adapt their kitchen operations and menus before enforcement begins.
Under the directive, adult menus must include at least one healthy option in every category. Diners will see compliant alternatives listed across appetisers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts. Children face even stricter protections, with at least 50 percent of all children's menu items required to satisfy approved nutritional standards.
Venues will classify compliant dishes through SEHHI, the nutritional classification system developed by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.
The changes also extend beyond the kitchen and onto the dining table. Licensed establishments must now offer low-sodium salt as the default table seasoning instead of regular table salt. Regulators introduced the measure to curb sodium intake and protect cardiovascular health.
To justify the table seasoning swap, authorities cited a study of nearly 21,000 individuals. That research linked switching to low-sodium salt with 14 percent fewer strokes, 13 percent fewer major cardiovascular events, and 12 percent fewer premature deaths.
The dining rules stem from a formal partnership agreement between DCT Abu Dhabi and Healthy Living, a government-led health movement. Because the local hospitality industry prepares millions of meals every year for residents and tourists, officials view hotel dining rooms as a primary testing ground for preventive health policies.
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, noted that the policies aim to integrate wellbeing directly into the hospitality sector. Dr Ahmed Alkhazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living, explained that the initiative focuses on making healthy choices the easy choice for diners across the emirate.
Both entities plan to expand their collaboration by developing additional sector guidance, surveying hospitality operators, and testing further nutrition initiatives across Abu Dhabi.