Amid a sweeping Egyptian government crackdown on digital medical misinformation, controversial physician Dr. Diaa El-Awady has vanished in Dubai. His disappearance follows widespread but unconfirmed reports of his sudden death published on Sunday. His wife and legal counsel released an urgent public video vehemently denying his passing. They confirmed instead that they have completely lost contact with him for a week.
Dr. El-Awady was last known to be staying at the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah. His phones are turned off. Seeking answers, his family has formally requested intervention through diplomatic channels, petitioning the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy for immediate assistance.
The international panic accelerated rapidly after Egyptian news outlets began circulating the death rumors. The confusion was fueled by a report by Cairo24 detailing his controversial shift to the “Al-Tayyebat” diet and the initial rumors of his mysterious death in the UAE.
Dr. El-Awady is a former assistant professor of intensive care at Ain Shams University. He officially ended his academic service in 2023. He then gained massive notoriety across the Arab world for his “Nizam Al-Tayyebat” diet. He claimed patients could achieve a “zero medication” state. He bizarrely forbade the consumption of vegetables, fiber, and water, claiming they were toxic for the colon. He actively encouraged the intake of ultra-processed foods, white sugar, and saturated fats.
Just weeks prior to his trip to Dubai, he faced severe professional sanctions. In March 2026, the Egyptian Ministry of Health permanently shut down his clinic. Simultaneously, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate officially revoked his license, according to Al-Quds, which verified the closure occurred due to his dangerous medical misinformation. The final catalyst for his revocation was his explicit advice to diabetic patients to stop taking their insulin. This instruction led to severe documented medical complications for several of his followers.
Why El-Awady’s Revocation Complicates the Disappearance Investigation
The sudden disappearance of Dr. El-Awady creates a complex jurisdictional hurdle. This represents the highest-profile international vanishing of a domestic medical figure following Cairo’s aggressive early-2026 campaign against unlicensed clinics and medical influencers. Because the Egyptian Medical Syndicate completely stripped him of his medical credentials just weeks prior, his family’s foreign assistance requests must navigate heavy political tension. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now tasked with investigating the sudden disappearance of a national who is simultaneously facing severe legal and professional cancellation in his home country.