UAE Doctors Warn Against Risks Of Marrying Relatives In Gulf, Call For Genome Literacy

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Gulf's population carries a distinct genetic signature, shaped by shared ancestry and founder variants, that has made the region a focal point for genomic medicine, doctors said at a discussion on "Genetic Risk in the Gulf: What Our DNA Is Telling Us About Inherited Disease".

The session heard from Dr Maryam Alshehhi, Consultant Physician Medical Geneticist at SKMC/SEHA and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Genomic Medicine at UAEU's College of Medicine, who said the region has higher rates of consanguineous marriage, raising the prevalence of recessive genetic disorders.

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She cited a study published in Nature Medicine, led by Dr Ahmad Abou Tayoun, Director of Dubai Health's Genomic Medicine Center, which found that eight per cent of the first 1,000 couples tested through Dubai's mandatory premarital screening programme were carriers of the same pathogenic variant, a rate higher than in comparable international studies. A separate study from Oman, she added, found that 80 per cent of metabolic disease cases in children involved parents who were closely related.

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Premarital genetic testing has been mandatory in the UAE since January 2025, screening for more than 570 genes in Abu Dhabi and 782 in Dubai. Dr Alshehhi said the UAE offers what she described as the first comprehensive premarital genetic screening programme in the world, and that newborn screening has since been introduced as a secondary layer of prevention.

Faster diagnosis, earlier treatment

During the discussion, which was moderated by Dr Shamsa Alawar, Consultant, Associate Professor and Chair of the OB/Gyn Department at UAEU. Dr Junaid Muhib Khan, Director of Medical Education and Consultant Neonatologist at SSMC, said newborn genetic screening is already changing outcomes. Citing a Dubai-based study from May 2026, he said the median turnaround for results was 3.4 days, with 53 per cent of screened babies found to have a genetic condition. Of these, 47 per cent saw a change in clinical management and 36 per cent received precise pharmacotherapy as a result.

He said the field is moving from evidence-based to precision medicine, with a target of full transition by 2030, adding that early genetic diagnosis avoids unnecessary testing and gives families clarity when a baby is unwell.

Cultural sensitivity and a literacy gap

Both doctors said the biggest challenges lie beyond the laboratory. Dr Alshehhi said clinicians frequently see couples in distress over positive results, and stressed that screening in the UAE must remain compatible with cultural and religious norms, ruling out approaches such as public carrier registries used elsewhere. Dr Khan said carrying a genetic variant "is not a disease" and should not lead to patients or communities being labelled.

"We have already reached a stage where people understand what genome sequencing is and its benefits," Dr Alshehhi said. "But we are still far away from full literacy on genomic medicine, and there is a lot of work still needed in education."

They called for the region to build up dedicated genetic counsellors to help translate genetic data into everyday clinical decisions, and said continued investment in awareness campaigns and screening infrastructure will be key to expanding the UAE's genomic health programmes in the years ahead.

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