Saudi Cardiac Surgeon Wins 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from U.S. College
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RIYADH, March 31, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi cardiac surgeon Professor Zohair Alhalees has received the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology, in recognition of a career that has helped shape cardiac surgery, pediatric heart care and surgical training in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The award was presented during the college’s Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans, where Alhalees was recognized before an international gathering of cardiology specialists.
Alhalees, a consultant cardiac surgeon at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, has worked in the field for more than 48 years and performed more than 25,000 heart operations in Saudi Arabia and abroad, according to a hospital statement.
His work has included building institutional capacity as well as clinical practice. He established the first congenital heart defects registry in the Middle East and helped develop an integrated heart center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital linking cardiac surgery, cardiology and critical care. He also trained a generation of younger surgeons during his career.
Outside Saudi Arabia, Alhalees led more than 60 humanitarian and educational surgical missions in over 20 countries. His academic record includes more than 150 scientific papers as well as contributions to specialist reference books.
He also became the first Saudi and Arab physician elected president of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery.
During the award presentation, the American College of Cardiology highlighted his contribution to heart valve replacement surgery, including a technique that uses the patient’s own tissue to replace a damaged valve. The approach has been particularly significant for younger patients because it allows the valve to adapt with growth, while reducing long-term medication requirements and improving quality of life.
His broader work in treating complex congenital heart conditions in infants and children has also been credited with improving surgical outcomes, lowering complications and supporting recovery, the hospital said.
The hospital statement also said King Faisal Specialist Hospital was ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th globally among the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers for 2026. It added that the institution was named the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the wider region by Brand Finance 2025, and was also listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2025, the World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026 and the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026.
