Dubai Healthcare City Authority Organises Organ Donation Awareness Symposium in Collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Prevention

Thursday, Aug 14, 2025

Symposium supports the national ‘Hayat’ programme and brings together leading experts from the organ donation and transplantation society

Dubai, UAE, August 13, 2025: In recognition of World Organ Donation Day, Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), the governing body of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), organised an awareness symposium in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) to highlight the importance of organ donation and support the National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation - Hayat. 

Held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre in DHCC, the symposium was part of the ’Donate for Life’ campaign, reflecting DHCC’s commitment to raising awareness, encouraging social compassion, and fostering a culture of solidarity. The initiative also aligned with MoHAP’s nationwide awareness campaign to mark World Organ Donation Day, observed annually on 13 August. It reinforced the value of MoHAP’s Hayat programme, advancing the UAE’s efforts to promote altruism and save lives through organ and tissue donation. 

Issam Galadari, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), said: "As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting national healthcare priorities and enabling constructive dialogue around high-impact medical initiatives, we are proud to join efforts with the Ministry of Health and Prevention to raise awareness of organ donation. This humanitarian act reflects noble values of social responsibility and unity. We firmly believe that improving public health outcomes is underscored by close collaboration between all the related entities and organisations." 

For his part, Dr. Ali Abdulkarim Al Obaidli, Chairman of the National Committee for Organ Transplantation, said that World Organ Donation Day is an annual occasion to reaffirm the UAE’s national and ethical commitment to promoting a culture of donation, which he described as one of the highest expressions of humanitarian generosity and noble endeavour.   

Al Obaidli commended the awareness symposium organised by the Dubai Healthcare City Authority, in participation with health, education, and religious institutions, saying it shows what can be achieved when the whole community works together to raise awareness and stand beside donors and their families. 

He added that the National Committee will continue to develop policies and protocols to safeguard the wellbeing of donors and patients, aiming to establish a sustainable donation and transplantation system. This, he said, relies on the active engagement of society and the combined efforts of public and private entities, ultimately saving lives, offering renewed hope to patients, and bringing joy to their families.

The event explored the entire transplantation journey from multiple perspectives, including medical, regulatory, ethical, and personal, offering a comprehensive understanding of the process and its profound impact. The symposium featured a unique line-up of industry experts and leaders, including Dr. Ali Abdulkarim Al Obaidli, Chairman of the National Committee for Organ Transplantation; Chief Mufti Dr. Mohamad Ayada Alkubaisi from the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai; Ayesha Al Falahi, Senior Consultant, Organ Donation and Transplantation at the DHA; Nujood AlKhloofi, Senior Director, Organ Donation & Transplantation Program, Dubai Health; Dr. Hemant Vadeyar, Adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai and Consultant Gastrointestinal, hepato-pancreato-biliary and Transplant Surgeon Laparoscopic, and Robotic Surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital; Dr. Nageswar Bandla, Organ Donation Coordinator, Hayat Programme; Dr. Maria Gomes, Director, National Regulatory Center for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues, UAE. 

A special session brough together an organ recipient and the family of a donor to share their personal experiences, reflections, and challenges throughout their journeys. Their moving testimonials highlighted the emotional dimension of organ donation, reinforcing its role in restoring hope and offering a second chance at life. The session resonated deeply with attendees and reflected MoHAP’s wider efforts to promote organ donation.

As part of the ‘Donate for Life’ campaign, a dedicated registration booth was set up at the venue, allowing attendees to sign up for the Hayat programme and help transform lives across the UAE. 

DHCC has played a key role in the UAE’s organ donation journey. In 2015, DHCC hosted the inaugural UAE Organ Donation Forum, which served as a platform for regional and international experts to exchange knowledge and establish frameworks for national cooperation. Less than a year later, in June 2016, DHCC’s ecosystem witnessed the first-ever kidney transplant in Dubai, carried out at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in partnership with Mediclinic City Hospital, one of DHCA’s key strategic partners. Since then, DHCC has continued to lead on this front through initiatives such as the ‘Live Saver Season: Be a Donor’ campaign. Additionally, DHCC remains committed to enhancing its healthcare ecosystem to support organ transplantation services and partnerships.