By Dr David Bell
Prosperity has been the greatest driver of health and well-being globally, no less in the GCC. However, while ensuring most children grow to have long and fulfilling lives relatively free from the threat of deadly infectious disease, it comes with its own problems. With most severe infections now preventable or readily treatable, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for more than 70% of deaths worldwide.
Across the GCC, NCDs represent a growing and sustained health burden, with countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia reporting that NCDs account for the majority of deaths. In the UAE, NCDs account for approximately 77% of deaths, while in Saudi Arabia the figure is estimated at around 73%, reflecting a broader regional trend rather than a country-specific issue.
In response, public health discussions have increasingly focused on diet and, in particular, on fats. For example, palm oil has attracted sustained attention in nutrition research, primarily due to its relatively high level of saturated fat. However, emphasis on a single nutrient or ingredient risks oversimplifying a far more complex issue.
Palm oil’s composition actually presents an interesting case of how our understanding of diet and metabolism is evolving. It contains roughly 50% saturated fat, around 40% monounsaturated fat (primarily oleic acid), and approximately 10% polyunsaturated fat, alongside naturally occurring compounds such as tocotrienols (a type of Vitamin E) and carotenoids (which form Vitamin A). These micronutrients have been studied for their beneficial antioxidant properties and their potential role in regulating cholesterol synthesis.
Research shows that the dietary impact of saturated fats is complicated, depending on their chemical structure. Those in palm oil differ from others in their effects on cholesterol levels and heart disease. As a cooking oil, palm oil’s high stability also reduces its degradation into potentially harmful products called ‘aldehydes’, as occurs in less saturated oils. Some controlled studies have found that palm olein – the liquid fraction commonly used in cooking – can produce lipid responses comparable, in certain contexts, to oils higher in monounsaturated fats.
Therefore, the key question is not whether palm oil contains saturated fat, but how it functions within real dietary and behavioural patterns. These include not just food preparation but other factors such as high carbohydrate intake, and lack of exercise. The World Health Organization identifies unhealthy diets and physical inactivity among the leading risk factors for NCDs such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The Middle East and North African region have one of the highest rates of diabetes globally. Across the GCC, diabetes affects approximately one in five adults, based on International Diabetes Federation estimates. During Covid, we all saw how obesity and diabetes made people far more susceptible to viral disease.
Against this backdrop, isolating one risk factor such as ‘saturated fats’ is a poor approach to improving health. Several studies show limited or inconsistent evidence linking total saturated fat intake alone with early death, irrespective of impact on cholesterol. But the evidence is nuanced and incomplete. We need to look at how we cook, how different types of fats are absorbed and used within our bodies, what else we eat, and how we keep our bodies physically fit.
Meanwhile, these findings do not suggest that all fats are equal, or that dietary guidance should be ignored. Rather, they reinforce a broader point: health outcomes are shaped by dietary patterns, energy balance and lifestyle behaviours, not by single ingredients in isolation.
For policymakers and public health leaders in the GCC, this has practical implications. Efforts to reduce the burden of NCDs are likely to be more effective when focusing on promoting more natural diets and encouraging physical activity. The region is already responding with initiatives such as Dubai’s Fitness Challenge, which mobilises residents around a specific, measurable commitment (30 minutes of activity daily for 30 days), demonstrating the shift toward more holistic approaches. Such actionable strategies will offer a clearer path to reducing the NCD burden regionally.
Palm oil, in this context, serves as a useful example of how nutrition science is evolving. It highlights the need to move beyond simplified narratives and towards a more evidence-based understanding of how foods interact within broader diets.
As the GCC continues to invest in preventive health and long-term wellbeing, a more holistic approach to nutrition will be essential – one that recognises complexity, rather than reducing it.
About the author
Dr David Bell is a global health advisor and physician, formerly with the World Health Organization, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, and Intellectual Ventures Global Good Fund, and consults in biotech and global health.
