Abu Dhabi Marks Over 1,090 Organ Transplants Since 2017, Strengthening Role as Global Medical Hub
Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: Abu Dhabi has reinforced its position as a leading regional and global medical hub by achieving a major milestone in organ transplantation, with more than 1,090 transplants performed across the Emirate since the launch of “Hayat” — the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue — in 2017.
The achievement, announced on World Organ Donation Day, includes a record 290 transplants in 2024 alone. These comprised seven heart transplants, 142 kidney transplants, 117 liver transplants, 22 lung transplants, and two pancreas transplants.
Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system continues to advance through highly complex surgeries, including multi-organ and robotic-assisted procedures, which enhance surgical precision and recovery outcomes. These successes are supported by four leading transplant 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 multi-organ transplants in 2024, including the UAE’s first combined heart and lung transplant. Other milestones include the Middle East’s first combined lung-liver transplant in 2023 and the UAE’s first triple-paired kidney exchange. The facility also houses the country’s only dedicated multi-organ transplant ICU and sole lung transplant programme.
SEHA Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, part of PureHealth — the largest healthcare platform in the Middle East — completed over 114 kidney transplants in 2024 and is expanding its liver transplant programme for adults and children.
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City has earned recognition for research and innovation, with 10 presentations at international conferences and the Best Abstract Award at ISODP 2023 in Las Vegas. The hospital carried out the UAE’s first COVID-positive organ donation and ranked second nationally in 2022 for the number of utilised organ donors.
Burjeel Medical City has also set national records, 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.
Dr. Al Ghaithi encouraged the public to register for the Hayat programme, noting that a single donor can save multiple lives.
