**5. Conclusions**

In this cross-sectional sample of the UAE population, the majority consumed salt well above the international WHO recommendations with a concurrent low intake of potassium, suggesting significant room for improvement in the intake of these minerals. There are significant di fferences by gender, with males more likely to exceed the WHO recommendations for salt and sodium intake.

It is imperative for communities, as well as local and national governments, to play a leading role in the development and implementation of salt reduction strategies, such as increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as well as setting standards for industry. Future research should aim to validate these findings with larger studies, as well as to identify important sources of sodium in the

diet of the UAE. Awareness programs should be established to educate the population about the risk factors for excess salt consumption. A nationwide assessment should be conducted to evaluate the level of the problem, and to enable identification of appropriate priorities for the implementation of population-based diet-related interventions to reduce the prevalence of NCDs and their associated rates of morbidity and mortality.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, A.S.A.D.; Formal analysis, E.O.O., F.T.A.M. and U.S.; Investigation, A.H.J., A.Z.A., A.A.A., L.S.A.K. and N.H.A.; Methodology, A.S.A.D.; Resources, A.S.A.D.; Supervision, A.H.J. and A.S.A.D.; Writing—original draft, A.H.J. and A.S.A.D.; Writing—review and editing, A.H.J., L.S., V.A., L.C.I., J.F., E.O.O. and A.S.A.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Acknowledgments:** Authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in the study.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
