IBS Scope in Dubai and United Arab Emirates
March 9, 2025
Dear readers, welcome to my new blog! My name is Dr. Sacha Sidani, and I’m a gastroenterologist who has been treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for more than 14 years. I started my career in Canada, where I was born and raised. Then, like many of you, I decided to move to Dubai and experience this vibrant and exciting city.
I’ve created this blog to provide practical advice, expert information, and supportive resources for anyone living with IBS specifically in Dubai or anywhere in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Living with IBS can be challenging, especially when trying to balance the high demands of daily life with symptoms that often feel unpredictable. My goal is to create a space where you can find reliable, evidence-based information, learn about the latest treatment options, and discover tips for managing IBS tailored to the unique lifestyle and cultural experiences of living in the UAE.
Having spent years helping patients with IBS and other gastrointestinal conditions, I’ve come to understand that every individual’s journey is different. IBS isn’t just about managing symptoms—it’s about improving quality of life, finding the right treatments, and building a strong foundation for long-term wellness.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, navigating treatment options, or simply seeking community and understanding, this blog is here to guide and support you. Together, we’ll explore everything from dietary adjustments and stress management to the role of the gut microbiome in IBS and the latest research in gastroenterology.
I look forward to sharing my knowledge and hearing from you as we embark on this journey toward better digestive health, one step at a time. But please be a little bit patient, as IBS is so vast that we cannot cover everything in one session! I will do my best to provide new information every week.
The first question that comes to mind, and I don’t blame you, is why in the world should you read my content? I don’t know the exact number, but I believe there are hundreds of gastroenterologists in the UAE and they are all able to treat IBS. However, for me, IBS is my lifelong professional passion. It is such a complex and diverse syndrome that I decided to dedicate a good portion of my career to it. I am aware that writing a blog about IBS doesn’t make me an expert. However, I have contributed to IBS patient care in many other ways. I had a dedicated IBS clinic in Canada. I also did research and published scientific papers aimed at finding the causes and evaluating new treatments.
Finally, I participated in writing clinical guidelines designed for gastroenterologists, helping them diagnosing and treating IBS.
One more wonderful aspect of treating IBS, it keeps me busy! We will discuss this in one portion of my blog, but it is one of the most common medical conditions on Earth, wherever you are located. Look around you in the office, on the street, in the mall, on the beach, and know that at least 1 out of 10 people around you have IBS. For this reason, when I made the big move from Canada to the UAE, I knew that I would still have a busy schedule dealing with IBS in the UAE.
I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada by Lebanese-Canadian parents. I lived most of my life in Montreal but enjoyed traveling extensively. After briefly relinquishing a career as an airline pilot, I rather decided to become a doctor. For this matter, my ENT surgeon father served as a role model for me. His passion for medicine and serving others really inspired me.
I went to medical school at the University of Montreal and then did my internal medicine and gastroenterology training at the same university. I got my Gastroenterologist diploma in 2013. I had a few mentors in Montreal, as some of my professors there were pioneers of IBS research. After I decided I wanted to develop my expertise in treating IBS, I pursued additional post-doctoral training at the Farncombe Institute at McMaster University, a leading clinical and research center in Hamilton, Canada. There I worked for three years under the supervision of world experts and participated in multiple research projects, from bench to bedside. My special interest was in the role of the gut microbiome in IBS and other so-called gut-brain axis disorders.
I came back in 2016 to work as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and consultant gastroenterologist at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal (CHUM), which is one of the largest academic hospitals in Canada. I spent my professional time there treating patients using the latest scientific advancements, teaching my specialty to numerous students, interns and residents and conducting more scientific research.
I moved to Dubai in 2024, guided firstly by love, as I met my wife here, and secondly by the thriving, exciting and promising healthcare sector here.
I have my private gastroenterology practice in Dubai and I continue to treat patients with all GI disorders. I have a deep passion for uncovering what causes IBS. One area that fascinates me is the role of gut micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeasts, known as the gut microbiota, which likely holds a crucial key to understanding IBS. I’m dedicated to staying at the forefront of research and applying the latest discoveries to improve how we manage IBS every day. Let’s embark on this journey together, with the hope of one day putting an end to this challenging condition.
Schedule your appointment today and take the first step towards a healthier you.
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