King Abdulaziz University launches Saudi Arabia’s first PET/MRI Alzheimer’s diagnostic service

King Abdulaziz University (KAU) unveiled on Thursday the first diagnostic service for Alzheimer’s disease using integrated Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) technology of its kind in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)
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Updated 19 December 2024
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King Abdulaziz University launches Saudi Arabia’s first PET/MRI Alzheimer’s diagnostic service

  • Early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease plays a critical role in improving patients’ quality of life

JEDDAH: King Abdulaziz University has unveiled the first diagnostic service for Alzheimer’s disease using integrated positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, collectively known as PET/MRI.

The service is offered through KAU’s Molecular Imaging Center (I-One), operating under the umbrella of Wadi Jeddah, the university’s investment arm.

The center, the only facility in Saudi Arabia’s Western and Southern regions equipped with a cyclotron for radiopharmaceutical production, spearheads the initiative.

A PET/MRI scan works by creating a three-dimensional image of the body using a PET scan and an MRI scan.

The KAU’s Alzheimer’s diagnostic service utilizes Amyloid PET/MRI imaging, developed in collaboration with Oryx Isotopes.

Early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease plays a critical role in improving a patient’s quality of life and slowing the progression of the condition.


King Abdulaziz Foundation reveals rare images from king’s 1916 Basra visit

Updated 20 December 2025
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King Abdulaziz Foundation reveals rare images from king’s 1916 Basra visit

  • Photographs form part of a wider collection documented by British photographer Gertrude Bell

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Foundation has revealed archival photographs documenting King Abdulaziz’s tour of the outskirts of Basra in 1916, a visit that came at an early stage of his efforts to build regional relationships.

One of the photographs, taken by British photographer Gertrude Bell, shows King Abdulaziz standing with his men in the Basra desert, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The image reflects his early political and diplomatic engagement in the region, as he sought to strengthen ties with neighboring areas and engage with the wider Arab and international community, SPA added.

The photograph forms part of a wider collection documented by Bell, which records key developments and transformations across the Arabian Peninsula during the early 20th century.

The Basra visit holds particular significance in King Abdulaziz’s journey as a unifying leader. 

Rather than crossing borders in pursuit of power, the visit reflected an approach focused on stability, cooperation and long-term regional harmony, laying the groundwork for a leadership style defined by pragmatism and openness, SPA said.