RIYADH, Thursday, June 18, 2026 (WNP): The Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme (SCTP) achieved another major medical milestone on Thursday after a specialized Saudi medical and surgical team successfully separated Filipino conjoined twins Olivia and Gianna in a complex operation performed at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital (KASCH), King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh.
Advisor to the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), and head of the surgical team, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, announced that the operation was successfully completed six hours after it began.
“By the Grace of Allah Almighty and through the dedicated efforts of my colleagues on the medical and surgical team, the separation of the Filipino twins Olivia and Gianna was successfully completed six hours after the operation commenced,” Dr. Al Rabeeah said.
He said the highly complex procedure involved a multidisciplinary team of 22 consultants, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and technical specialists, who worked together to ensure the highest standards of precision, safety and specialized care throughout the operation.
Dr. Al Rabeeah explained that the twins were joined at the chest and abdomen, sharing a liver and possibly part of their intestines. He added that one of the twins also suffered from congenital heart defects, making the operation particularly challenging and medically critical.
He noted that the successful procedure marked the fourth separation of Filipino conjoined twins carried out under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme and the 72nd successful separation surgery since the programme’s establishment 35 years ago.
According to Dr. Al Rabeeah, the programme has assessed 158 cases from 28 countries across five continents, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s leading role in providing advanced humanitarian healthcare to children from around the world.
He said the latest achievement demonstrates the Kingdom’s humanitarian commitment under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as well as Saudi Arabia’s continued excellence in specialized medical care.
Dr. Al Rabeeah added that the accomplishment also reflects the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in advancing the Kingdom’s healthcare sector, strengthening medical innovation and improving the quality and efficiency of specialized health services.
On behalf of the entire medical team, he expressed profound gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support and patronage of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, which has enabled Saudi specialists to deliver world-class medical care while improving the lives of children and families from across the globe.
The twins’ family expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Saudi leadership for providing exceptional medical care and thanked the specialized medical team for its professionalism, dedication and tireless efforts in ensuring the successful outcome of the operation.
The Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading humanitarian medical initiatives, providing free, highly specialized treatment for conjoined twins and reinforcing the Kingdom’s global role in humanitarian assistance and advanced healthcare.
