Abu Dhabi Health Festival hits three cities to track residents’ real-world habits

Abu Dhabi is launching a new health festival this month that will not only promote movement, sleep, nutrition and mental wellbeing but also track how residents change their habits over time, senior officials said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

The Festival of Health will run over three weekends in Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra and Al Ain.

The Festival of Health will take place at:

• Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi: 12–16 December

• Madinat Zayed Park, Al Dhafra: 19–21 December

• Al Jahili Park, Al Ain: 26–28 December

  Officials said the platform is designed to shift daily behaviours by making healthy living “easy, accessible and part of everyday life.” and it’s organised by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) with the Department of Health (DoH).

A key part of that shift will come from monitoring real-world participation. “For any really transformative changes, you need data,” she said. “We started to realise in which district we have obesity… and why. Is it because there is no gym, no walking areas, or because people above 45 are not interested anymore in changing their habits?”

Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH, said the emirate’s ‘Sahatna’ health app will record attendance, steps and engagement levels — allowing authorities to understand where residents struggle with activity, access or awareness.

She added that Sahatna will become the registration platform for festival activities and future wellness events. “We will continue to measure this increase number-wise and quality-wise,” she said, noting that users will receive personalised prompts based on their steps, clinical information and other health indicators.

A push to make healthy habits simple — not expensive

Dr Al Ghaithi said many people still feel that being healthy is “difficult” or costly. “People… feel that they have to pay, they have to work, they have to do, and healthy food is more expensive.” The emirate’s new Healthy Living Strategy, approved last week by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, aims to break those barriers.

“A healthy life is a lifestyle that everyone can reach at any time,” she said, urging residents to see health as accessible rather than an obligation tied to gyms or specialised consultations.

The festival reflects a “solidarity” between government, private and social sectors to bring lifestyle change closer to daily life. “It gives families simple and inspiring ways to build healthy habits that affect the quality of life over the long term,” she added, noting its relevance as the UAE approaches the “Year of the Family” in 2026.

Immersive experiences across four pillars

Officials said the festival will blend science, culture and entertainment across four pillars: movement, nutrition, sleep and psychological wellbeing. Experiences will include physical activity zones, nutrition and cooking stations, sleep-focused installations and mental health activities.

Dr Ahmed Al Khazraji, Executive Director of the Healthy Living Strategy, said the goal is to offer “new, innovative approaches… to give them the message that to be healthy, it is very easy.”

Organisers expect around 30,000 attendees, with activities tailored for all ages, including people of determination and women-only spaces.

A central “Health Hub” will host government entities, gyms, community partners and private-sector contributors, offering what officials described as experiences meant to continue beyond the festival period. “The focus is to extend the impact… to have accessibility throughout the different programmes,” an official said during the briefing.

Behaviour change at the core

Responding to a question about future regulations, officials said new policies under the Healthy Living Strategy will be announced later but stressed that the first step is changing behaviour.

“The reason behind this platform is to change the behaviour of our people,” Dr Al Khazraji explained. “By being there and seeing the real things on nutrition, sleep and activity, we will definitely change the behaviour of our people.”

The wider strategy includes infrastructure improvements, school and workplace programmes, and new awareness tools. “We’re not going to take away people’s autonomy,” he said. “But we’re going to make it easy and accessible to be healthy.”

Residents are being encouraged to attend with family and friends. “Be our ambassadors… to help reduce chronic diseases, reduce obesity, and be happier and more productive for yourself, your family and your community,” Dr Al Ghaithi concluded.