Why is infertility in the UAE rising?

I honestly think part of it is that life in the UAE changed faster than human biology did.

People are marrying later, working insanely demanding jobs, sleeping less, stressed all the time, eating more processed food, sitting indoors most of the day because of the heat, and then trying for kids in their late 30s thinking fertility works the same way it did at 25.

It doesn’t.

Another thing nobody used to talk about there was male infertility. For years the assumption in many families was basically: “If pregnancy isn’t happening, it must be the woman.”

Now more couples are actually getting tested properly and discovering sperm quality issues too.

I also think infertility only seems more common partly because people are finally talking about it openly. Ten or fifteen years ago, many couples would just suffer quietly or call it “God’s will” instead of going to fertility clinics.

A big reason seems to be that people in the UAE are having children later than previous generations. More couples are prioritizing careers, financial stability, or waiting longer to marry, and fertility naturally declines with age, especially after 35.

The article also mentioned lifestyle and health factors becoming more common, including:

1. stress
2. obesity
3. smoking
4. poor diet
5. lack of exercise

Another issue doctors highlighted is conditions like PCOS and male infertility becoming more noticeable and more frequently diagnosed.

What’s interesting is that experts in the UAE reportedly believe infertility is no longer a “rare” issue there. Fertility clinics are seeing growing demand, and IVF treatment has become much more common over the past decade.

The study discussed in the article said fertility rates in the UAE are now among the lowest globally, which reflects a broader trend happening in many developed countries, people are simply having fewer children overall and starting families later.

There’s also probably less stigma around infertility now, so more couples are actually seeking help and talking about it openly instead of suffering silently.