How much sugar is in that drink?
Seven drinks you can buy on any street in the UAE. For each one, drag teaspoons of sugar into the glass to show your guess. Then see what's really in it.
How much is too much?
The World Health Organization says free sugars should be less than 10% of the energy you eat and drink in a day, and ideally less than 5%. For most adults, 5% is about 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons, for the whole day.
Sugar added by the maker, the café or you, plus the sugar in honey, syrups and fruit juice. The sugar that is naturally in milk and in whole fruit doesn't count.
Sugar in a drink goes down fast and doesn't fill you up. One sweet drink can use up a whole day's limit before you've eaten anything.
WHO made this guideline because more free sugars are linked to tooth decay and weight gain. Sipping sweet drinks all day is especially hard on teeth.
The 10% and 5% limits apply to children too, and children eat less overall, so their gram limit is smaller. Water and plain milk are the best drinks for them.
The UAE taxes sugary drinks
Since December 2019, sweetened drinks in the UAE carried a 50% excise tax. From 1 January 2026 that changed to a tax based on how much sugar is in the drink, so less sugar means less tax.
Drinks sweetened only with artificial sweeteners, and drinks that are at least 75% milk, are treated differently. The tax is paid by producers and importers, so shop prices may vary.
Easy swaps
Find "sugars" on the label. Multiply by the bottle size if it's given per 100 ml, then divide by 4. Now you can picture it.
At the cafeteria or the café, ask for one spoon instead of three in your karak, or one pump of syrup instead of three. You'll get used to it within a few weeks.
Cold water, sparkling water or water with lemon and mint. Keep a bottle in the car and in the school bag.
A whole mango or orange comes with fibre and fills you up. Juice and fruit drinks don't.
Sources: sugar values are typical figures based on USDA FoodData Central (cola, regular: about 10 g per 100 g; mango nectar: about 12 g per 100 g; reduced-fat chocolate milk: about 24 g per cup) and common product labels (energy drinks: about 11 g per 100 ml). The iced latte (about 450 ml, three pumps of syrup) and the karak (about 180 ml, three teaspoons of sugar with evaporated milk) are estimates from typical recipes. Real products and recipes vary a lot, so check the label or ask. WHO, "Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children" (2015). UAE Cabinet Decision No. 197 of 2025 on excise tax on sweetened drinks, from 1 January 2026, as announced by the UAE Ministry of Finance and summarised by KPMG and PwC. This page is for general awareness and is not medical advice. If you have diabetes or another health condition, follow your doctor's or dietitian's advice.