Dr Diaa Al-Awadi, the physician behind Nidam al-Tayyibat
د. ضياء الدين العوضي
Dr Diaa Al-Awadi (1979–2026) was an Egyptian physician, an anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist trained at Ain Shams University in Cairo, who became one of the most followed health content creators in the Arab world. He is the author of Nidam al-Tayyibat (نظام الطيبات), a dietary system that classifies foods as “tayyibat” (beneficial) and “khabithat” (harmful). He died in Dubai in April 2026.
Dr Diaa Al-Awadi
Physician, creator of Nidam al-Tayyibat
- Full name
- Diaa El-Din Shalabi Mohamed El-Awady (ضياء الدين شلبي محمد العوضي)
- Born
- 1979, Egypt (family from Sharqia Governorate)
- Died
- April 19, 2026, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), aged 47
- Education
- Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University (Cairo) — master’s degree and doctorate in anesthesia and intensive care
- Specialty
- Anesthesia, intensive care and pain management
- System
- Nidam al-Tayyibat (نظام الطيبات) — “the system of good foods”
- Audience
- ≈ 2 million Facebook followers, ≈ 341,000 on YouTube, ≈ 500,000 group members
Dr Diaa Al-Awadi in six facts
- Graduated with honors from the Ain Shams Faculty of Medicine, top of his class
- Consultant in anesthesia and intensive care at Ain Shams University hospitals and private clinics
- Lecturer in the intensive care department at Ain Shams until 2023
- Then moved into therapeutic nutrition, with a practice in Nasr City (Cairo)
- Creator of Nidam al-Tayyibat, spread through videos to millions of people
- Struck off by the Egyptian Medical Syndicate on March 10, 2026; died on April 19, 2026 in Dubai
Career and key dates
From hospital intensive care to mainstream nutrition, then to the center of a national controversy: the timeline, dated and sourced.
Born in Egypt
Family from Belbeis, Sharqia Governorate.
Ain Shams Faculty of Medicine
Graduated with the distinction “excellent with honors,” first in his class; then a master’s degree and doctorate in anesthesia and intensive care.
Hospital and academic career
Consultant in anesthesia, intensive care and pain management; lecturer in the intensive care department of Ain Shams University.
Therapeutic nutrition and Nidam al-Tayyibat
Opened a nutrition practice in Nasr City (Cairo) and spread the system through videos: ≈ 2M Facebook followers, ≈ 341K on YouTube.
Disciplinary referral
The Egyptian Medical Syndicate refers him to its disciplinary board for spreading misleading medical information and practicing outside his specialty, and files a complaint with the public prosecutor.
Struck off
The disciplinary board revokes his membership and removes him from the register, in absentia. The Ministry of Health closes his practice and cancels his license to practice.
Death in Dubai
Found dead in his hotel room. On April 21, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs relays an Emirati medical report concluding that he died of a heart attack. His family disputes this; the public prosecutor orders an exhumation and a new autopsy.
Burial
Buried in the family tomb in Belbeis (Sharqia).
Broadcast ban
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation bans the online circulation of content attributed to him.
What is Nidam al-Tayyibat?
Nidam al-Tayyibat (نظام الطيبات, “the system of good foods”) is a dietary system created by Dr Diaa Al-Awadi that classifies foods as “tayyibat,” beneficial, and “khabithat,” harmful. It rests on three pillars: a palette of foods, the two-hour rule and eleven daily rules.
According to press reports, the system excludes food groups that conventional nutrition considers essential (a large share of fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, some dairy products), which accounts for part of the criticism it has received.
The food palette
The system divides foods into “tayyibat” (beneficial) and “khabithat” (harmful), with preparation conditions for some of them. The guide introduces this palette.
The two-hour rule
The central rule of the system, it sets the rhythm of eating. It is explained in full in the free excerpt of the guide.
The eleven daily rules
Eleven everyday guidelines that structure the method. The guide details them one by one, with their sources.
Read the first pages of the Tayyibat guide
17 free pages (in French): the two-hour rule in full, the eleven rules, an introduction to the palette, a recipe.
A mass audience in the Arab world
≈ 2M
followers on his Facebook page
≈ 341K
subscribers on his YouTube channel
≈ 500K
members of his Facebook groups
11
daily rules in the system
Figures reported by New Lines Magazine (2026); orders of magnitude, subject to change.
Controversies and regulatory context
Dr Al-Awadi’s method departs from conventional nutritional guidelines and was the subject of official measures in Egypt. Knowing them is part of an honest reading of the guide.
- Egyptian medical institutions criticized him for the absence of validated clinical studies and for advising chronically ill patients to reduce or stop their treatments.
- February 2026: referral to the Medical Syndicate’s disciplinary board and complaint filed with the public prosecutor.
- March 10, 2026: struck off by the Syndicate, followed by the closure of his practice and the cancellation of his license by the Ministry of Health.
- May 2026: the Supreme Council for Media Regulation bans the circulation of his content. Media outlets (NPR, New Lines) link the diet to hospitalizations.
Important medical notice
This website and the Tayyibat guide are informational and educational documents. They do not replace personalized medical advice and are neither a diagnosis nor a prescription.
Never change or stop a treatment (insulin, blood pressure medication, anticoagulants, cancer treatments…) without your doctor’s approval. If you have a chronic illness, are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to a healthcare professional before any change in diet.
Frequently asked questions about Dr Diaa Al-Awadi
Sources and method
The facts on this page are drawn from the sources below, consulted on 2026-10-12. Where they differ (for example on the exact day of death, April 19 or 20), the date used is that of the official finding.
- 1. Wikipedia (ar) — ضياء العوضي
biography, education, disciplinary dates, death and burial
- 2. New Lines Magazine
career, audience, death in Dubai, measures taken by the authorities
- 3. NPR / WBUR Here & Now
health impact of the diet in the Arab world
- 4. Enterprise (Egypt)
content of the diet and its popularity
- 5. Al-Ain
testimonies after his death
- 6. Masrawy
patient testimonies
See also: the nutrition blog · the program FAQ · the complete guide.