Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso

Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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The Burkinabe twins at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah led the team in the separation of the Burkinabe conjoined twins. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah led the team in the separation of the Burkinabe conjoined twins. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah led the team in the separation of the Burkinabe conjoined twins. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
Special Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
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Dr. Nezar Al-Zughaib, a member of the medical team in the separation of the Burkinabe conjoined twins. (AN Photo/Loai Elkelawy)
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Updated 03 March 2025
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Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso

Saudi doctors operate on conjoined twins from Burkina Faso
  • Kingdom’s leading program has separated 61 pairs of conjoined twins from around the world
  • Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah: I am optimistic that we will achieve the successful separation and we will also mark the continuation of this ambitious global program

RIYADH: The Saudi Program for Separating Conjoined Twins began its 62nd operation this morning at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.

The twins, Awa (Hawa) and Kadidiata (Khadija) Dianda, first came to Riyadh on July 1 last year. They underwent diagnostic tests and screenings that revealed joining in the lower chest and abdomen, a shared pericardium (covering of the heart), liver and bowel.

A medical team of 26 specialists led by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser to the royal court and general supervisor of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, began the operation in accordance with directives from the Saudi leadership.

The Saudi Program for Separating Conjoined Twins has been active for more than 34 years and has evaluated 146 cases of conjoined twins from 27 countries.

Speaking to Arab News, Al-Rabeeah said that in the case of the Diandas, extensive joining in the abdomen and chest convinced plastic surgeons to place tissue expanders (balloons under the skin) to expand the skin for three-and-a-half months before the operation.

The operation will be completed over five phases.

“I am optimistic that, God willing, we will be happy to achieve the successful separation with a success rate exceeding 80 percent and we will also mark the continuation of this ambitious and global program,” Al-Rabeeah said.

The case was brought to the Kingdom’s attention after the Dianda family contacted the Saudi Embassy in Burkina Faso.

“Every year we celebrate Nov. 24 as conjoined twin international day and this is because of what Saudi Arabia has done to care for those twins,” Al-Rabeeah said.

Each case of conjoined twins is different from the last; whichever organs or connected tissue are involved determines the difficulty of each case.

Al-Rabeeah classified the cases, generally, as either joined in the head (craniopagus), the chest (thoracopagus), abdomen (omphalopagus), pelvis (ischiopagus), or joined in the back (pygopagus).

Dr. Nezar Al-Zughaibi, one of the doctors on the Dianda medical team who has about 50 separation operations under his belt, spoke to Arab News about what goes through his mind before a procedure of this magnitude.

“It’s mixed feelings, between excitement, between anxiety. But the more you do of these cases, the more comfortable you feel,” he said.

“I’m working with a great team; Dr. Rabeeah is like our godfather. He just takes care of everybody on the team. We support each other.”

Once the children are separated, the hospital erupts into a cheerful and joyous atmosphere, especially after seeing the happy tears on the parents’ faces, Al-Zughaibi said.

Twins are cared for by the program before and after the operation, as Al-Rabeeah said that follow-up care can be just as, or more important, than the operation itself.

“The first set (of twins) that we have done, we are still following them … twins who have now exceeded 35 years of age,” he said.

“It is a lifelong follow-up.”

Al-Zughaibi said that sometimes — especially for those that stay longer — patients form long-term friendships and even familial bonds with the medical staff.

Physical and psychological rehabilitation are both required, including counseling for the families.

And in some cases, prosthetic fittings with the proper physical care and cosmetic surgeries could be needed.

Amid the wait for the results of the latest operation, Al-Zughaibi and the staff are hopeful of a positive result.

“I always say each case has its own identity and its own risks and surprises. But for now, this is going smoothly and we’ll keep our fingers crossed it will continue as is,” he said.


Saudi Arabia seeing ‘significant changes’ in women’s advancement, says Tokyo governor

Saudi Arabia seeing ‘significant changes’ in women’s advancement, says Tokyo governor
Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko speaking at Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh on May 23, 2025. (
Updated 23 May 2025
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Saudi Arabia seeing ‘significant changes’ in women’s advancement, says Tokyo governor

Saudi Arabia seeing ‘significant changes’ in women’s advancement, says Tokyo governor

RIYADH: There have been “significant changes” in women’s advancement in Saudi Arabia compared to her previous visits to the Kingdom, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Friday.

Speaking at Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh, Koike said: “Whatever the gender is, the Saudi Vision 2030 transformed the country and made it comfortable for everyone, including males, females, children and the handicapped.”

The governor has visited Riyadh three times previously but expressed her appreciation that women “can drive and travel alone now.”

Koike is the first elected Tokyo governor and has been appointed three times so far. She told the Fortune panel that her priority was to make “women’s dreams come true.”

She added that free childcare, including tuition and provision of school lunches, was also high on her agenda.

Despite her focus on Tokyo, Koike said the agenda for women’s advancement should be the same in all communities, from small villages to large cities.

“It’s a common agenda we have to face whether for education, industry and for vitalizing the economy,” she said.

After her election, Koike began organizing a network for female mayors and governors.

“When I first started the network with my colleague, we only had 39 female mayors and governors elected,” she said, adding that women should “not wait” until they were elected or appointed to join: “If you don’t a buy lottery ticket, you will not win.”

“The world is so turbulent,” Koike said, adding that women should take on its challenges and achieve whatever they want.

The theme of this year’s conference is “A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity.” Other speakers included Nigeria’s former minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, along with Prof. Hanan Abdulraheem Alahmadi, assistant speaker of The Shura Council of Saudi Arabia, and Farah Ismail, deputy minister of sectoral and regional development of the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning.


How Saudi Arabia is embracing AI to drive healthier lifestyles in line with Vision 2030

How Saudi Arabia is embracing AI to drive healthier lifestyles in line with Vision 2030
Updated 22 May 2025
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How Saudi Arabia is embracing AI to drive healthier lifestyles in line with Vision 2030

How Saudi Arabia is embracing AI to drive healthier lifestyles in line with Vision 2030
  • From smart hospitals to intelligent PE planning, the Kingdom is harnessing tech to improve public health outcomes
  • King Faisal Specialist Hospital uses AI to streamline patient care and educate families on managing long-term health conditions

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is leveraging artificial intelligence to build a healthier, more active population — a central objective of Vision 2030, which commits to raising the quality of life for all citizens through physical wellbeing.

AI is playing a pivotal role in this national transformation, with its applications extending across the healthcare sector, educational institutions and even mobile fitness apps that support healthier daily habits.

AI applications now plays a significant role in healthcare, education and even mobile fitness apps that support healthier daily habits. (Getty Images)

One leader in this field is the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, which uses AI to streamline patient care, support post-treatment recovery and empower families through personalized health education.

“Today, we live in a golden digital innovation ecosystem in the Kingdom,” Dr. Ahmad AbuSalah, director of the Center for Healthcare Intelligence at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, told Arab News.

“It is a golden time for entrepreneurs, for innovators, for organizations and for researchers. In the hospital, we have a digital transformation journey that we take really seriously.”

Early this year, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh announced that it has successfully performed a robotic-assisted implantation of an artificial heart pump (HeartMate 3) developed by Abbott. (Photo courtesy of KFSHRC)

Driven by the healthcare transformation program of Vision 2030, the hospital’s strategy focuses on lowering costs, expanding access to care and delivering outstanding services — all supported by AI.

However, Dr. AbuSalah said that adoption of these new technologies must be strategic and sustainable if they are to have the desired effect on patient outcomes and medical practice.

“Some organizations build AI models, keep it for a couple of years, and then shut it down. Why? Because it wasn’t bringing value,” he said.

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One of the most impactful uses of AI at King Faisal Specialist Hospital is operation intelligence, which helps to guide the patient journey from admission to discharge. The system uses predictive analytics to inform patients about their health and encourage targeted lifestyle changes.

“We built a system that will proactively predict a patient’s experience three days before their appointment for the cancer treatment unit,” Dr. AbuSalah said.

This helps doctors anticipate outcomes, manage expectations and intervene early where needed.

Dr. Ahmad AbuSalah, director of the Center for Healthcare Intelligence at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. (Supplied)

The hospital’s AI tools also alleviate administrative burden on medical staff — a major cause of burnout. “If we remove the noise around the doctor, the care quality will be enhanced by itself,” Dr. AbuSalah said.

“You always hear the term ‘physician burnout’ because they are spending a lot of time on non-clinical tasks, on documentation, submitting orders here and there, generating reports. How can they focus on patients?”

By automating those tasks, AI frees up time for direct patient care, improving both staff wellbeing and service quality.

Outside the hospital setting, the same technology is helping Saudis to make better everyday health choices. AI-enabled apps now track sleep, diet and exercise, offering personalized insights to encourage small, achievable steps — such as walking or cycling.

In fact, walking and cycling are now the most popular forms of physical activity among Saudi adults, according to a 2024 General Authority for Statistics report.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Predictive AI can forecast patient experiences before appointments, enabling more personalized treatment.

• AI-powered apps help users to track their sleep, diet and activity for smarter, healthier daily habits.

• Schools are using AI to plan tailored PE lessons, making physical activity more engaging for students.

However, the report also noted a gender gap, with 23.2 percent of men being physically active compared to just 14 percent of women.

AI could help to close that gap, offering flexible, accessible ways for women to engage in exercise from home or within their communities.

Meanwhile, in schools across the Kingdom, AI is transforming physical education by helping teachers to tailor activities to individual students’ needs. This has made PE more engaging and inclusive — and part of a broader campaign to instill lifelong habits of fitness.

Last year, the Saudi Ministry of Education added rugby as an elective sport in its physical education curriculum, as part of an effort to promote the importance of having a healthy lifestyle among children. (AFP photo)

In a landmark move last year, the Ministry of Education introduced rugby as an elective sport — an initiative that underscores the growing importance of physical activity in the national curriculum.

But technology alone is not enough. To ensure lasting impact, experts say that the Kingdom must continue investing in infrastructure, educator training and custom tools that align with Saudi culture and goals.

Through such initiatives, Saudi Arabia is turning AI into more than just a technological leap — it is becoming a public health revolution, helping the nation move, live and feel better every day.
 

 


KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels
Updated 22 May 2025
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KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

BRUSSELS: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and supervisor general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, recently conducted high-level discussions with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell during the European Humanitarian Forum in Brussels.

The meeting, which included Saudi EU Ambassador Haifa Al-Jedea, focused on joint humanitarian and relief initiatives designed to enhance child welfare programs across global crisis zones.

Russell praised the ongoing partnership between UNICEF and KSrelief, highlighting how their collaboration has successfully delivered aid to millions of vulnerable children worldwide. She described the relationship as “an outstanding example of international humanitarian cooperation dedicated to serving children globally.”


Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project
Updated 22 May 2025
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Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

 MADINAH: The Islamic University of Madinah has launched the “Irth Wa Athar” (Legacy and Impact) project, which aims to document its graduates’ educational impact and rectify data digitization.

The university said the initiative included documenting and rectifying graduates’ certificates from 1961-97 and collecting the data of 173,000 international scholarships offered by the university to its graduates from 179 countries since its establishment in 1961.

The international scholarships include more than 41,000 awarded to students in the fields of religious sciences, in addition to over 15,000 granted for studies in the principles and skills of Islamic preaching.

Some 27,000 scholarships were granted to students of Arabic language education, while 24,000 were offered for training specialists in other scientific fields.


Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

Sakan wins Qassim excellence award
Updated 22 May 2025
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Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

RIYADH: The National Developmental Housing Corporation, or Sakan, has won the Qassim Award for Excellence and Creativity in the National Excellence Branch in its fifth session.

Yazeed Al-Rasheed, vice president for shared services at Sakan, received the award on behalf of the organization. He expressed his gratitude to officials for their support and recognition of national initiatives, saying that this was an incentive to continue efforts in cooperation with all parties.

Abdulaziz Al-Karidis, secretary-general of Sakan, thanked the Qassim governor for his support for Sakan’s initiatives and for following up and encouraging activities that achieved the foundation’s goals. Receiving the award would inspire the foundation to further enhance its performance and reinforce its core values, he said.

The win marks a milestone in the foundation’s journey and its commitment to excellence and innovation. The foundation continues to strive toward creating a positive and sustainable impact in the developmental housing sector by offering the best solutions and practices.