Addressing diabetes at the crossroads of global pandemic and regional culture: Comment on "The curse of wealth - Middle Eastern countries need to address the rapidly rising burden of diabetes".

As diabetes and obesity rates continue to climb at astronomical rates in the Middle East, future generations are at an even greater risk for diabetes and the associated complications. Many factors are at play and it is clear that creative solutions are needed to retool provider resources in the Middle East towards prevention of diabetes and its complications while leveraging technology to maximize outreach within the accepted cultural norms. Only by building the capacity to address the current diabetes burden as well focusing on prevention for the future, can Middle East countries create a strong infrastructure for a successful future.