On April 3, 2026, the Emirates Drug Establishment approved Foundayo, the world’s first oral GLP-1 pill for chronic weight management. The UAE became only the second country on the planet to register the drug, right after the US FDA approved it on April 1. For Dubai residents who’ve been on Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Wegovy, or anyone thinking about starting, this changes the conversation considerably
Clinical trials showed an average weight loss of 12.4% on the highest dose. That’s real. But here’s what the news coverage isn’t telling you: a pill doesn’t fix the muscle loss problem that comes with every GLP-1 medication. It doesn’t replace the lifestyle work. And it doesn’t answer the question most Dubai residents are quietly asking, which is what happens when you stop taking it.
We’ve been running at-home personal training programs for GLP-1 users across Dubai since 2025, when the first wave of clients came to us already six or seven kilos into their Mounjaro journey and worried about losing muscle. This guide walks through what we’ve learned, what the science actually says, and what your training should look like if you’re on (or about to start) any of these drugs.
What Foundayo Actually Is (And Why It Matters for UAE Residents)
Foundayo is the brand name for orforglipron, a once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist developed by Eli Lilly. Unlike Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Wegovy, which are all weekly injections, Foundayo is a small-molecule pill you swallow with or without food at any time of day.
According to the Emirates Drug Establishment announcement published through the UAE’s official news agency WAM, Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Director-General of the EDE, called the approval a significant step in the nation’s commitment to adopting the latest pharmaceutical innovations. The agency noted that obesity is linked to more than 200 diseases and health complications including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and at least 13 different types of cancer.
The practical significance for Dubai: Foundayo eliminates injection fatigue and needle hesitation. For people who tried a GLP-1 once, hated the weekly jab, and quit, an oral option removes that barrier. According to reporting in The National, the treatment is expected to be available to eligible patients from the first week of May 2026, with initial supplies arriving through Metabolic, the first provider outside the US to offer it.
Clinical trial participants on the highest dose recorded an average weight loss of 12.4% when combined with lifestyle modification. That’s meaningfully less than Mounjaro (which shows roughly 22% at top doses in trials) but competitive with Wegovy.
The Muscle Loss Problem Nobody Talks About (And Why It’s Worse in Dubai)
Here’s the part that gets buried in the press releases. Every GLP-1 medication causes muscle loss alongside fat loss. Research reviews have described lean mass loss as a universal feature of medically induced weight loss. It’s not unique to GLP-1 drugs, but it’s particularly significant at the weight-loss magnitudes these drugs produce.
Published data suggests semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) causes roughly 40% of total weight lost to come from lean mass. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is better at roughly 25%. Early Foundayo data hasn’t broken out lean mass separately yet, but because it activates the same GLP-1 pathway as semaglutide, we should expect similar muscle-preservation challenges until proven otherwise.
Why does this matter more in Dubai than elsewhere? Three reasons.
First, Dubai’s extreme summer heat from June through September makes outdoor exercise genuinely unsafe for four months of the year. The UAE Government’s official midday break rule bans outdoor work between 12:30pm and 3pm from mid-June to mid-September. If you’re relying on casual outdoor activity to stay active during your GLP-1 journey, you lose a third of your year.
Second, most Dubai residents live in apartments with shared building gyms. Gyms that are crowded at peak hours. Gyms without the protein-optimized, three-times-per-week resistance training structure that GLP-1 users specifically need. Scrolling through workout videos isn’t going to cut it when your body is losing muscle faster than usual.
Third, and this is the quiet one: a lot of UAE residents are starting GLP-1 drugs without any nutritional guidance because standard UAE medical insurance does not cover GLP-1 medications when prescribed for weight loss. You’re paying AED 744 to AED 2,000+ per month out of pocket for the drug alone. Many people skip the Nutrition Coach to save money, which is exactly the wrong place to economize.
What the UAE’s Own Data Says About Why This Matters
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) released its National Health and Nutrition Survey 2024-2025 in January 2026. The findings weren’t comfortable reading. The MoHAP survey, endorsed by the World Health Organization, found that 22.4% of UAE adults are living with obesity and 59.1% don’t engage in sufficient physical activity.
A separate peer-reviewed 2025 study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, drawing on data from more than 440,000 adults attending Dubai Academic Health Corporation, found 63% overweight or obese, with 28% classified as obese by BMI criteria. Among female UAE nationals over 40, close to half live with obesity.
The MoHAP survey also found that 96.2% of UAE adults exceed recommended sodium intake and 27.3% exceed recommended sugar intake. Vitamin D deficiency affects 49.3% of adults.
Translation: the population most likely to start Foundayo is already sedentary, already nutrient-deficient, already facing a muscle-preservation uphill battle before a single pill enters the picture.
How Training Should Change When You’re on a GLP-1 (Foundayo Included)
Here’s what we tell every GLP-1 client who starts with Athleaders. Your training isn’t about burning calories anymore. Your training is about protecting muscle, preserving metabolic rate, and building the body you actually want to live in on the other side of weight loss.
Three principles drive everything.
Resistance training three to four times per week is non-negotiable. Not optional. Not “when you feel like it.” Heavy compound movements (squats, hinges, pushes, pulls) progressively loaded over time are what tells your body to hold on to lean tissue while fat is dropping. We run our GLP-1 clients through 45-minute sessions built around this principle, delivered in their home, villa garden, or apartment gym.
Protein targets get structured, not guessed at. The general wellness guidance our Nutrition Coaches use for GLP-1 clients focuses on steady, distributed protein intake across the day. Because GLP-1 drugs suppress appetite, you often aren’t hungry enough to hit the protein you need without deliberate planning. This is where structured meal guidance matters more than the drug itself.
Cardiovascular work shifts to lower-intensity, longer-duration formats. Intense cardio on a GLP-1 often feels awful because your caloric intake is suppressed. Zone 2 walks, incline treadmill, and easy cycling at heart rates you can hold a conversation through are the sustainable choice, and they preserve more lean mass than high-intensity intervals at this stage.
The “Post-GLP-1” Cliff That Most People Hit
There’s a problem with every GLP-1 medication that the marketing won’t mention. When you stop taking it, the drug-induced appetite suppression stops too. If you haven’t built new habits, new muscle, and a new metabolic baseline during your time on the drug, the weight comes back. Fast.
The National reported in January 2026 that long-term durability of GLP-1 weight loss remains uncertain, with evidence of significant weight regain after stopping therapies. In published trials, people who stopped semaglutide regained roughly two-thirds of their lost weight within a year.
The only reliable predictor of who keeps the weight off after stopping a GLP-1 is whether they built sustainable training and eating habits during the time they were on it. This is the entire case for working with a trainer and Nutrition Coach during a GLP-1 program rather than after it.
Why Going to a Gym Isn’t the Same as a Structured Program
We’ve had clients come to us after six months on Ozempic, down 18 kilos, and terrified. They’ve lost weight, but they’ve also visibly lost muscle. Their skin looks drawn. They feel weaker climbing stairs than they did before the drug. They’re still scared to stop the medication because they know it’ll come back.
Walking into a commercial gym in Dubai Marina or Downtown and hopping on the treadmill isn’t what these people need. They need a periodized resistance program, structured protein intake, and the kind of accountability you only get when somebody is showing up at your door three times a week. That’s what Athleaders is. 245+ five-star Google reviews, 10,000+ clients across Dubai and Singapore since our founding in 2019, and a three-person team assigned to every client: a REPs-certified personal trainer, a Nutrition Coach, and an Accountability Coach who reviews your progress weekly. Sessions at home, your villa garden, or your building gym across 40+ communities in Dubai.
Before You Start Foundayo, Consider These Five Things
Before filling a prescription for Foundayo or any other GLP-1 drug, ask yourself five honest questions.
Are you willing to commit to structured resistance training during the entire time you’re on the drug? If the answer is no, the muscle loss will likely catch up with you and the results won’t be what the trials promised.
Do you have a plan for nutrition that goes beyond “eat less”? GLP-1 drugs make eating less easy. They don’t make eating right easy. Distributed protein, fibre, hydration, and electrolyte intake all need a structure.
Is your financial plan sustainable? Expect AED 744 to AED 2,000+ per month for the medication itself, plus clinical supervision. If budget pressure makes you quit early, the regain will be worse than if you’d never started.
Have you had a proper medical consultation with a DHA-licensed physician? Foundayo is prescription-only. Purchasing GLP-1 medications without a valid prescription is illegal under UAE pharmaceutical regulations, and the DHA has issued public warnings against self-medication with weight-loss injectables.
Do you have a clear exit strategy? What does life look like in the 12 months after you stop the drug? If the answer is “I’ll figure it out then,” the trial data suggests you’ll regain most of the weight.
How Athleaders Structures GLP-1 Client Programs
Our programs for GLP-1 clients run differently from our standard personal training. Here’s what we do differently.
Three to four 45-minute resistance sessions per week, scheduled at your home, villa garden, or apartment gym. Our REPs-certified personal trainers bring all necessary equipment. Dumbbells and kettlebells are available on request (chargeable).
One weekly check-in with your Nutrition Coach for general wellness and lifestyle guidance around your eating patterns, hydration, and supplement support. We write out practical eating structures that work alongside your medication and your routine.
Weekly review from your Accountability Coach, who looks at training adherence, meal adherence, and body composition trends, coordinating with your trainer and Nutrition Coach behind the scenes so your program evolves as your body responds.
Our GLP-1 clients typically sign up for the 25-session or 50-session holistic package starting from AED 305 per hour. The holistic package is where we see the best muscle-preservation outcomes, because it includes the nutrition and accountability components, not just the training.
Services provided are limited to general wellness and lifestyle nutrition guidance and do not constitute medical nutrition therapy. For medical dietary needs, please consult a licensed healthcare professional.
What to Do Now If You’re Starting Foundayo in May 2026
If you’ve got a prescription on the way or you’re planning to start Foundayo the first week of May, here’s what we’d suggest as a 30-day runway.
Book a consultation with your training provider before the drug arrives, not after. Get a baseline: body composition, strength benchmarks, cardiovascular base. You can only track what you measure.
Secure your protein supply. Delivery, grocery runs, restaurant research. Once appetite drops, you won’t want to think about it.
Pick a training slot in your calendar and defend it like a board meeting. The single biggest predictor of who keeps the weight off is who trained consistently during the drug’s active phase.
Start a short walk routine now, before the drug lowers your appetite and energy. Building the walking habit first makes continuity easier.
If you want to talk to someone about what a structured GLP-1 training program looks like in Dubai, book a free consultation with our team and we’ll map out what your next 12 weeks could look like.
FAQs
Is Foundayo available in Dubai now?
Not yet. The Emirates Drug Establishment approved Foundayo on April 3, 2026, but the drug is expected to become available to eligible patients from the first week of May 2026, with Metabolic as the first UAE provider.
How much will Foundayo cost in the UAE?
The UAE price has not been officially announced. In the US, Foundayo launched at around $149 per month. UAE pricing typically runs higher than US pricing for GLP-1 drugs. Expect to pay out of pocket, as standard UAE medical insurance does not cover GLP-1 medications prescribed for weight loss.
Do I need a prescription for Foundayo in Dubai?
Yes. All GLP-1 receptor agonists in the UAE require a valid prescription from a DHA or DOH-licensed physician. They cannot legally be purchased without one.
Is Foundayo better than Ozempic or Mounjaro?
Different, not strictly better. Foundayo offers an average 12.4% weight loss at the highest dose in trials, compared to roughly 15% for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and up to 22% for tirzepatide (Mounjaro). The big Foundayo advantage is that it’s a pill with no injection and no food or water restrictions. For people who quit injectables, that’s a meaningful benefit.
How much muscle will I lose on Foundayo?
Specific Foundayo lean-mass data isn’t published yet. Based on the mechanism, expect similar risk to semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), which has been shown in some studies to cause up to 40% of total weight lost to come from lean tissue. Structured resistance training three or more times per week and adequate protein intake are the best tools to minimize this.
Can I train at home while on Foundayo, or do I need a gym?
You can train effectively at home with minimal equipment. Our at-home personal training clients across Dubai use resistance work and bodyweight progressions delivered by the trainer. You don’t need a commercial gym. What you need is a structured program and consistency.
What happens when I stop taking Foundayo?
Appetite typically returns. If you haven’t built durable habits around training, sleep, and nutrition during the time you were on the drug, the weight comes back. Trial data for similar GLP-1 drugs shows significant regain within 12 months of discontinuation. This is why the habits you build alongside the drug matter more than the drug itself.
Is the UAE’s approval of Foundayo faster than other countries?
Yes. The UAE approved Foundayo on April 3, 2026, two days after the US FDA approval on April 1. According to the Emirates Drug Establishment, this makes the UAE the second country in the world to register the drug, ahead of the EU, UK, and most other markets.
Are there side effects to be aware of?
The most common side effects reported in the Eli Lilly trials were mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and vomiting. About a third of patients on the higher dose experienced these. Questions about medical suitability, contraindications, and dose titration should be directed to your DHA-licensed physician.
Should I wait for Retatrutide instead?
Probably not, if weight loss matters to you now. Retatrutide is Eli Lilly’s triple-agonist drug currently in Phase 3 trials. Trial results show up to 28.7% body weight loss, the highest ever recorded. However, it’s not yet approved anywhere, and UAE availability is estimated for 2027 or 2028 at the earliest. Foundayo and Mounjaro are available options today.
I’m a woman in Dubai who’d prefer female-only training. Can you accommodate?
Yes. We assign female personal trainers to clients who prefer one, and all sessions take place at your home, villa garden, or building gym at times that suit you. Many of our female personal training clients on GLP-1 medications train three times weekly with the same female trainer and Nutrition Coach for the full 12-week foundational phase.
Ready to Train Smarter on Your GLP-1 Journey?
Foundayo is a tool. So is Mounjaro. So is Ozempic. The thing that turns a tool into a result is the structure you build around it.
If you’re in Dubai and thinking about starting Foundayo in May, or you’re already on another GLP-1 and worried about what you’re losing alongside the fat, we can help. Athleaders has been running at-home personal training in Dubai since 2025, paired with nutrition coaching and accountability coaching. Our founder Bernhard Lieder built the company in 2019 after three consecutive wins at the Singapore International Triathlon, because he saw too many people failing with generic fitness programs and wanted to build something that actually got results.
Book a free consultation and we’ll walk you through what a GLP-1 optimized program looks like for your specific situation.
Related reading: Personal Training Dubai, Longevity Training Dubai, Nutrition Coaching, Female Personal Training Dubai.