Egyptian woman, once world's heaviest, set to move to UAE after row over her weight loss

An Egyptian woman, once touted as the "world's heaviest" at 500kg (1102lbs), is set to move to the UAE, following a row over her weight loss doctors treating her in India said.

In a statement, Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty's doctors noted that the patient would soon move to the UAE for "secondary physiotherapy" as the hospital is "closer to home for Eman and her family".

The hospital added that it was a proud moment for the doctors as Abd El Aty "came on a chartered cargo plane and goes back as a passenger on a flight in business class".

She now weighed 172kg, almost one-third of what she weighed earlier.

The 36-year-old, a resident of Alexandria in Egypt had not left her house in almost 25 years until she arrived in the western Indian city of Mumbai in January for a bariatric surgery. She was treated at Saifee hospital by Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and his team.

She will now head to Burjeel hospital in Abu Dhabi, the BBC reported.

The development came after Abd El Aty's sister Shaimaa Selim accused doctors at Saifee hospital of lying about her weight loss and pleaded that she be kept at the hospital for treatment.

Selim released a video on social media alleging that her sister was unable to speak or move and had not shed half her weight that the hospital was claiming.

On 25 April, the woman's sister said that Abd El Aty still needs an oxygen mask most of the time and is fed via a tube running through her nose.

Selim feared that shifting her sister could affect the treatment and it would be difficult for her to get treatment once she moves back to Egypt.

However, Dr Lakdawala slammed Selim and said that Abd El Aty was fit to move and could sit up for longer periods of time. The hospital has also released pictures of Abd El Aty following her weight loss surgery.