Mapping the landscape of diabetes research; An Emirati perspective of trends, challenges, and opportunities

Diabetes mellitus continues to pose a major public health challenge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study presented a bibliometric and thematic analysis of diabetes-related research published between 1980 and 2025. The objectives are to evaluate research productivity, identify leading institutional contributors, examine research themes and international collaborations, and highlight existing knowledge gaps. All English-language publications on diabetes were retrieved from the Scopus database, and bibliometric indicators were analyzed using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The dataset included 2167 documents revealing four distinct phases of research development, with the most substantial growth occurring between 2019 and 2025. The United Arab Emirates University emerged as the most prolific institution, while the UK, USA, and India were the leading international collaborators of the United Arab Emirates. Thematic mapping and keyword clustering were used to identify four main research domains. Well-developed central motor themes included type 2 diabetes and Ramadan fasting. Basic but less - developed themes include insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. Niche areas such as artificial intelligence and insulin secretion reflect specialized but expanding interests. Emerging or declining topics include bariatric surgery, whereas the limited attention to diabetic retinopathy highlights its underrepresentation. Overall, the analysis demonstrated significant progress in diabetes research within the United Arab Emirates. However, critical gaps persist, particularly in type 1 diabetes, diabetes-related complications, pediatric studies, prevention strategies, and investigations of sociocultural and genetic factors unique to the region.