RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center said on Tuesday that it will perform a surgery to separate Yemeni conjoined twins from Aden governorate.
The operation, which comes after directives from King Salman, will be held on Thursday at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City at the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of KSrelief and head of the medical and surgical team, said the operation to separate Mawaddah and Rahmah is expected to take about 11 hours, and will be carried out in 6 stages, with 28 doctors and specialists, in addition to technicians and nurses.
He added that the twins are female, were born conjoined to the lower chest and abdomen, and according to examinations, share the liver and intestines, and are suspected to be attached by a heart membrane.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the great support that the medical team and the health sector in the Kingdom receive from the leadership and the humanitarian gestures they provide to needy people everywhere.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief to separate Yemeni conjoined twins on Thursday
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief to separate Yemeni conjoined twins on Thursday
- The operation to separate Mawaddah and Rahmah is expected to take about 11 hours, and will be carried out in 6 stages
Saudi Arabia advances in Universal Health Coverage index
- Life expectancy in Kingdom rose from 74 in 2016 to 79.7 in 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has made notable progress in the Universal Health Coverage Service Coverage Index, reinforcing its position among leading nations in global health indicators, according to the latest data released by the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
The Kingdom recorded a score of 83 points in the latest UHC update, marking a nine-point increase within two years and placing Saudi Arabia among countries classified as having high-level health service coverage.
The steady rise reflects sustained improvements over the past two decades and underscores the impact of the Kingdom’s Health Sector Transformation Program under Saudi Vision 2030.
The UHC Service Coverage Index is one of the internationally recognized Sustainable Development Goal indicators and measures access to essential health services across key areas, including preventive care, treatment, and system capacity.
Progress in the index is closely linked to broader development outcomes such as improved quality of life, reduced disease burden, and enhanced social well-being.
Saudi Arabia’s advancement has been driven by a strategic focus on preventive healthcare, strengthened primary care services, expanded early screening programs, and increased health system readiness.
The transformation has also been supported by rapid digitalization, including platforms such as Sehhaty and the Seha Virtual Hospital, which have expanded access to care and improved service efficiency nationwide.
These reforms have translated into measurable public health gains. Life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rose from 74 years in 2016 to about 79.7 in 2025, bringing the Kingdom close to its Vision 2030 target of 80 years and highlighting the effectiveness of preventive and treatment programs.
Health Minister Fahad Abdulrahman AlJalajel said the progress reflected the tangible outcomes of Vision 2030 and sustained leadership support.
He said: “The improvements we see today in international health indicators demonstrate the real impact of the Kingdom’s health transformation, which prioritizes prevention, primary care empowerment, and digital health solutions. Raising life expectancy to 79.7 years is the result of an integrated effort focused on improving people’s health and quality of life.”
Saudi Arabia’s progress in the UHC index further strengthens its standing among G20 countries and underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to building a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable health system, with people at the center of national development.
