SAUDI CONJOINED TWINS PROGRAMME
OVER THREE DECADES
The Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme began in 1990. For the past three decades, this noble programme has saved and improved the lives of conjoined twins and their families, thanks to the generosity of the Saudi royal family, beginning in 1990 with King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, followed by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, a pediatric surgeon who is also an Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, has served as Head of the Surgical and Multidisciplinary Team performing these separations since the programme began. Under his leadership along with his colleagues from the distinguished medical teams, as of October 2024, a total of 143 cases of conjoined twins from 26 countries have been reviewed by the medical team, and 61 of these sets of twins have been successfully separated under the programme. Fifty-eight of these surgeries took place at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs – King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh. The Government of Saudi Arabia covers all costs for transportation, medical care, housing and other expenses for the twins and their accompanying family members. Since 2015, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have fully supported the programme’s treatment for each pair of twins deemed by the surgical team to be good candidates for separation.
Twins Separated
Programme Partners
