Multiple sclerosis patients in the UAE have opened up about how their lives were impacted since being diagnosed with the condition.
The National spoke with UAE residents who were diagnosed with the disease as well as a senior figure from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in the lead-up to World MS Day on May 30.
This year’s theme, My MS Diagnosis: Navigating MS Together, focuses on the uncertainty and emotional toll many people face after diagnosis and the importance of support systems, early detection and better awareness surrounding the condition.
A diagnosis of MS alone can be devastating, but those living with the disease also have to find a way to cope with the feeling of isolation that accompanies it.
For Rayan Daboul, 26, the first symptom appeared suddenly in January 2022.
“I actually woke up in the middle of the night from numbness in my leg,” she said. “Then it started spreading throughout my hand and reached my scalp.”
A neurologist ordered an MRI scan. Until then, Ms Daboul had never heard of multiple sclerosis.
“[The doctor] said it could be MS,” she said. “I didn’t even know the full term or what it meant.”
Hiding it actually makes people struggle more than the condition itself
Rayan Daboul
Two MRIs later, the diagnosis was confirmed.
“At first I was in denial,” she said. “Obviously, it’s scary what you read online.”
The diagnosis also affected her family deeply.
“My dad is actually a nurse and, during the tests and MRIs, I saw him afraid for the first time,” she said. “Their first question was if it would go away eventually. It doesn’t and that is something I accepted. I don’t think they accepted it on the spot.”
Ms Daboul said she initially struggled with the idea of speaking openly about the condition because of the stigma surrounding chronic illness.
“My dad is still very old-school, so for him talking about something like this publicly felt like something you should hide,” she said.
“But I think hiding it actually makes people struggle more than the condition itself.”
Everything changed when Ms Daboul found the National MS Society online while searching for information about the disease.
“I had genuinely felt like I might be the only person with MS,” she said.
The society connected her with support circles and other patients living with the condition.
“I remember going to one of the MS circles and just listening,” she said. “I wanted to hear what other people went through, and for the first time I didn’t feel alone.”
Now Ms Daboul is an advocate for promoting awareness of mental health and MS in the UAE.
“I don’t want people to feel shame when talking about MS,” she said. “I know it sounds strange, but I think MS changed my life for the better. It made me focus on what actually matters.”
Making a difference
Launched in 2023, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society works to improve the lives of people living with MS through advocacy, awareness campaigns, scientific research, support programmes and workplace inclusion initiatives.
This year, the society is marking World MS Day with a nationwide campaign reaching healthcare centres, workplaces, cafes and community spaces across the UAE.
The initiative includes awareness drives at more than 30 healthcare centres and public activations aimed at encouraging more open conversations about MS and the reality of living with the condition.
According to the National MS Society, about 64 in every 100,000 Emiratis in Abu Dhabi have received an MS diagnosis, twice the global rate, The National reported earlier this year.
Siddiq Kazim, 48, has been living with the condition since being diagnosed at the age of 19.
“One day, while playing football, I fell down for no reason,” he said. “I thought maybe I had a knee problem.”
Later, he began losing balance and vision in one eye before doctors diagnosed him with MS. His uncle was a physician.
“I asked if it was temporary or permanent,” he said. “He told me I would live with it.”
At the time, the diagnosis felt devastating.
“As a young person with ambitions and plans, it was life-changing,” he said.
Over the years, the disease gradually altered nearly every part of his life. Once an active engineer who regularly visited project sites, he later began using a wheelchair.
“My life totally changed,” he said. “I used to drive, inspect projects and move around constantly.”
Still, he tried not to allow the disease to consume him emotionally.
“When I felt myself becoming depressed, I would immediately do something to distract myself,” he said. “Reading books, watching comedy films, playing games … anything.”
Joining the society two years ago transformed the way he coped with the disease, he said.
“It helped me in a massive way,” he said.
“For the first time, I could speak to people who actually understood my symptoms and my life.”
He said the community became a place where patients shared advice, encouragement and emotional support.
“Two people can have MS but completely different symptoms,” he said. “You learn from each other. You share experiences. That was something very powerful for me.”
He believes one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding MS is that life effectively ends after diagnosis.
“It is not a death sentence,” he said. “You can manage, no matter how hard it is. You just need to stay positive.”
Raising awareness
Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, vice chairwoman of the National MS Society, said the organisation was founded with a long-term goal of pursuing a cure for MS while improving daily life for patients in the UAE.
“When we say cure, I know that is a very profound word,” she said. “But everything we are doing is moving towards that.”
One of the society’s first priorities, she said, is raising awareness because many patients had been silently struggling for years.
“We discovered that some people had been suffering for five, six, even 10 years without speaking to their loved ones about it,” she said. “Awareness was one of our biggest focuses.”
But awareness alone was not enough. The organisation began working with healthcare authorities, neurologists and researchers to improve diagnosis and standardise MS care across the country.
“It was the first time guidelines were created specifically for MS care in the UAE,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
The society has also become increasingly focused on scientific research and funding.
“So far, Dh11 million has been invested into research and development,” she said.
The funding has supported studies into treatment, environmental causes and how MS uniquely affects patients in the UAE.
“The UAE population is different in terms of the severity of the disease and how patients respond to medicine,” she said. “So the research and guidelines need to reflect local data.”
The society has also pushed for stronger workplace protections after hearing repeated concerns from patients about employment policies.
“Having MS does not always mean someone is visibly sick,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
“One day someone may feel fatigued, another day they may struggle with numbness or balance. But because people cannot always see it, it was often not understood.”
She said the organisation worked with policymakers to improve workplace accommodations and recognition for people living with MS.
“This is something we are proud of because it came directly from patients,” she said.
Despite the progress, Dr Al Kaabi said, much work needs to be done.
“We want to minimise suffering as much as possible,” she said.
“But I truly believe that with enough research, partnerships and momentum, a cure is no longer something that feels impossible.”