Saudi medical team begins 10-hour separation surgery for Moroccan twins
A specialized Saudi medical team has begun a complex separation surgery for 13-month-old Moroccan conjoined twins, Saja and Doha, at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, following directives from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Qazinform News Agency cites SPA.
Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and head of the surgical team, said the twins arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 24, 2026. After extensive examinations and consultations, doctors determined that the sisters were joined at the chest and abdomen and shared the membranes surrounding the heart, as well as parts of the liver and intestines.
The operation is being conducted in six stages over approximately 10 hours and involves 23 consultants, specialists, nurses, and technical personnel. According to Dr. Al Rabeeah, the procedure has an estimated success rate exceeding 70%.
The operation marks the fourth separation surgery performed on Moroccan conjoined twins under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme and the 73rd such procedure carried out by the initiative. Since 1990, the program has provided care for 159 sets of conjoined twins from 28 countries across five continents.
It should be noted, the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme (SCTP) specialized medical and surgical team previously achieved a new medical milestone with the successful separation of Filipino conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna.