Citations 1
Evolving clinical burden of inflammatory bowel disease in the United Arab Emirates: a two-decade analysis of diagnoses and disease severity
Ahmed, Hosameldin Abdelrahman, Alzaabi, Mohamed Nasir, Swaid, Thaer Khaleel, Khan, Shaima , Ali, Ameirah Badr Abdullah Al, Tenaiji, Khalifa Al, Alahmad, Maryam A, Omar, Nadeen Mamon, Ahmed, Enas Fouad, Hosani, Ibrahim Al, Ahmed, Ishtiaq, Kumar, Kishore Kumar Chitra, Bukasa, Laurette L, Jess, Tine, Marzooqi, Saeed H Al, Malik, Talha A, Quraishi, Mohammed Nabil , Jess, Tine , Jess, T , Ahmed, Hosameldin Abdelrahman, Alzaabi, Mohamed Nasir, Swaid, Thaer Khaleel, Khan, Shaima Wasim , Ali, Ameirah Badr Abdullah Al, Tenaiji, Khalifa Al, Alahmad, Maryam A, Omar, Nadeen Mamon, Ahmed, Enas Fouad, Hosani, Ibrahim Al, Ahmed, Ishtiaq, Kumar, Kishore Kumar Chitra, Bukasa, Laurette L, Marzooqi, Saeed H Al, Malik, Talha A, Quraishi, Mohammed Nabil
Frontline Gastroenterology | September 16, 2025 | Volume: 17 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 312-321
Objective Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly recognised in the Middle East, but limited regional data hinder a clear understanding of its burden. We aimed to examine trends in IBD diagnoses, disease phenotypes and predictors of poor outcomes at a major tertiary referral centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated diagnostic trends in a cohort of 600 Arab patients between 2002 and June 2025 and analysed detailed phenotypes in a subcohort of 414 patients diagnosed since 2012. Results We observed a nearly 13-fold increase in new IBD diagnoses among Arab patients at our centre between 2002 and 2024. This cohort (median age at diagnosis 25 years; 65% Crohn’s disease (CD; n=269), 35% ulcerative colitis (UC; n=145)) demonstrated a sharper rise in CD compared with UC, with CD being diagnosed at a significantly younger age (median 25 years vs 30 years, p=0.001). A substantial proportion of patients with CD presented with complicated disease defined as stricturing (B2; 22%, n=59), penetrating (B3; 17%, n=46) and perianal (34%, n=92) disease. Ileocolonic (L3) disease was a significant predictor for presenting with a complicated phenotype (OR 3.89). Penetrating (OR 13.9), stricturing (OR 3.38) and perianal (OR 2.22) disease were significant predictors for requiring surgery. 84% of patients with CD and 62% of patients with UC were exposed to advanced therapy. A diagnosis of CD and younger age at diagnosis were associated with a higher likelihood of needing advanced therapy. Conclusions This study provides the most comprehensive data set on IBD diagnoses and phenotypes in the UAE to date, highlighting a pronounced rise in IBD overall and of aggressive disease presentations in CD in particular.