At first glance, the bustling steel-and-glass cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi might not share much in common with quieter, sparsely populated Mediterranean idylls such as Ikaria in Greece or Italy’s Sardinia. However, as the UAE continues to entwine technology and advanced medicine with strategies for healthier living, people in the Emirates may join the islands mentioned above in the world’s club of so-called “blue zones”, regions where lifespans of at least 100 years are common.
Although extending human lives to a century – or more – may sound closer to science fiction, a group of doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals who met in Dubai recently believe the UAE has an opportunity to make this a reality. During a speech on the opening day of the first World Health Expo last week, Dr Richard Siow – director of ageing research at King’s College London and a visiting professor at the University of Oxford – said it was entirely possible that “any one of us could live beyond 120”, adding that “Dubai and the UAE could become a blue zone for this region”.
Given the UAE’s substantial investment in cutting-edge health care, this should not be too surprising. The country is home to several branches of internationally known research hospitals, has created the Emirati Genome Project to better understand its society’s genetic make-up, and in 2023 the Ministry of Health and Prevention launched the country’s first Centre of Excellence for AI, an example of how futurism informs much of the Emirates’ approach to health care.
This is not to argue that an Emirati blue zone will resemble those found in Sardinia, Japan’s Okinawa or the Greek islands. For generations, people living in these largely rural societies have had their own specific lifestyles, including locally grown produce and more outdoor activities. Longevity in the UAE is more likely to come from its advanced healthcare know-how and the kind of global partnerships that drive its medical advancements. But this does not exclude the necessity for healthy lifestyles, a greener environment, solid nutrition and regular exercise, which is what the authorities have been promoting, a point underlined by those meeting in Dubai this week.
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. In this regard, the UAE has not been found wanting when it comes to building a supportive and pro-active approach to better health. The country has made tackling obesity a strategic priority and its National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 focuses on many of the factors that explain blue-zone longevity elsewhere, such as mental and social wellness in addition to physical health. The country is committed to producing more locally sourced food and its National Air Quality Agenda 2031 and Dubai Air Quality Strategy 2030 both aim to cut emissions.
There are important and exciting conversations taking place about longevity and healthy ageing. But it is critical that such medical advancements stay within the reach of as many people as possible to avoid the kind of health inequality that plagues some other societies. In addition, sustaining a growing number of people who are living longer presents its own challenges as Greece and Japan – both countries with blue zones – have discovered.
It is perhaps the UAE’s diversity that will add new depth and understanding to this journey. Many of the world’s blue zones are home to largely homogenous populations, among whom researchers can study trends and tendencies. The mix of communities and nationalities living in the Emirates offers a more challenging but possibly more promising cohort to examine, as the idea of living longer than humans have lived before moves closer to becoming a reality.
