Ashraf AboArafe
In implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—may God protect them—a specialized medical and surgical team has commenced the separation procedure of Syrian conjoined twins “Celine and Elin Abdulmoneim Al-Shibli” at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.
The operation is being led by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), who also chairs the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Dr. Al-Rabeeah explained that the twins were born on February 28, 2024, via cesarean section at Rafic Hariri University Hospital in Beirut. The family, Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon, had been expecting triplets—two conjoined girls and one healthy, separate male child. At the time of surgery, the twins are 1 year and 5 months old, with a combined weight of 14 kilograms.
The twins arrived in Saudi Arabia on December 29, 2024, through coordinated efforts by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense. Upon arrival, they were admitted to King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital under the Ministry of National Guard. Following a series of detailed assessments and medical imaging, the team determined that the twins are conjoined in the lower chest and abdomen, sharing parts of the heart’s membrane and liver, and potentially some of the intestines.
To prepare for separation, doctors implemented a pre-surgical skin expansion process using medical balloons to ensure adequate tissue coverage post-operation. The surgery, which spans approximately nine hours across six stages, involves 24 consultants and specialists in pediatric surgery, anesthesiology, plastic surgery, and other medical fields.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah noted that this is the fourth successful case of conjoined twin separation from Syria under the program. Over the past 35 years, the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has evaluated 150 cases, performing 65 successful separations for twins from 27 countries—a testament to the Kingdom’s global humanitarian leadership.
In closing, Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the King and Crown Prince for their unwavering support of the program and the broader health sector in Saudi Arabia. He prayed for the success of the surgical team and emphasized that this operation stands as another proud milestone in the Kingdom’s ongoing humanitarian contributions to the world.
