Abu Dhabi Marks Milestone in Organ Transplantation with Over 1,000 Surgeries Since 2017

📷WAM

Abu Dhabi, August 14, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Abu Dhabi has strengthened its position as a regional and global medical hub, surpassing 1,000 organ transplants since the launch of “Hayat,” the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue, in 2017.

The announcement, made on World Organ Donation Day, highlighted a total of 1,090 transplants performed across the Emirate until 2024, with a record 290 completed last year alone. These included seven heart transplants, 142 kidney transplants, 117 liver transplants, 22 lung transplants, and two pancreas transplants.

Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system has advanced complex procedures such as multi-organ and robotic-assisted transplants, supported by four leading centres: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Burjeel Medical City (BMC), and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC).

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, established in 2017 as the nation’s first multi-organ transplant centre, performed 241 transplants in 2024, including the UAE’s first combined heart and lung transplant. Other national and regional firsts include a combined lung-liver transplant in 2023 and a triple-paired kidney exchange.

SKMC, a subsidiary of PureHealth, completed over 114 kidney transplants in 2024 and continues to expand its liver transplant programme for both adult and pediatric patients.

SSMC has focused on research and education, earning the Best Abstract Award at ISODP 2023 in Las Vegas, and performed the UAE’s first COVID-positive organ donation.

Burjeel Medical City has achieved several national firsts, including the UAE’s first paediatric living donor liver transplant, first ABO-incompatible kidney transplant, and the youngest paediatric liver transplant at just five months old.

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to Abu Dhabi’s unwavering commitment to delivering best-in-class care. Through our infrastructure, talent, and innovation, the Emirate has become a hub for organ transplantation in the region and beyond,” said Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.

She encouraged community members to join the "Hayat" programme, noting that a single donor can save multiple lives.